Soldier
by hi there flamingo
Summary: A war between Kanto and Hoenn has been raging for ten years. With no end in sight, Ash joins the army in an effort to help end the war. Not only must Ash learn to fight as a soldier, but he must learn to fight his growing feelings for Misty as well. AU fic.
1. Nightmares

A little boy woke from a shrill cry. He whipped the sheets off his body and hurried to the window to see unfamiliar men marching down the dirt road. They were chanting along with the snapping of sticks against a drum and their footsteps were perfectly in sync, creating an orchestra of terror. He ran downstairs to see his mother stuffing some of their family's valuables in a bag. She tossed the bag over her shoulder after placing some cans and boxes of food inside. She looked up to see her son standing at the bottom of the staircase, confused. She grabbed his tiny hand, crushing it, and dragged him outside their home. The little boy cowered behind his mother as she stood on the front porch and watched the men in dark maroon uniforms march down the road.

They followed the soldiers to the center of town. There, they saw some men with highly decorated uniforms instructing beasts that breathed fire to destroy all the buildings in the town. People were rushing out of their homes to avoid getting caught in the fires. Fear-filled cries echoed in the early morning sky. Some men that lived in the town busted down their front doors with guns in their hands. They threatened the assembly of foreign men to leave, but the soldiers didn't even flinch. These few townsfolk armed with rifles did not scare the men the least. A few that tried to penetrate the assemblage of men in maroon got shot and laid dead on the ground, getting trampled. The little boy covered his ears as the wives' piercing cries of horror rang in sky.

The little boy, after absorbing all the hideousness that was happening around him, realized that his mother was no longer with him. Her hand was no longer crushing his fingers. He looked in every direction frantically, searching among all the panicking citizens for her. He must've gotten separated from her by the flow of men making their way down the street. He was standing in front of the burning City Hall. He watched as the support beams in the building began to snap and collapse. The whole city was shaded with an array of oranges and reds from the large fires burning on each side of town. Massive clouds of dark smoke rose from the rooftops of the burning buildings and shrouded the city so the first signs of dawn were no longer visible.

The number of people running around was dwindling. The uniformed men were now spread through out the city, terrorizing every building in sight. The little boy didn't know what else to do but run home. He sprinted as fast as he could, stumbling a couple times in his slippers. When he arrived at his house there wasn't much of it left. It was just a giant ball of fire, roaring as flames consumed the entire structure. Shadows from the flames danced on the ground and it was almost beautiful, if it hadn't been the place where his mother had raised him.

The little boy noticed his mother standing to his left. She had been too distracted by the man burning down her home to see her son. Her hand was up by her lips and tears slid down her cheeks one after another. He didn't say anything; he just slowly walked over and held his mother's hand. She didn't look down. She knew very well it was her son. The little boy then saw a large man and his orange winged beast walk away from their home. The little boy knew he'd never forget that evil smirk he saw on that man's face and the burn scar he had down one side of his neck and a little on his chin and nose. The scary thing was, it was almost as if the man was smirking right at him. The little boy had never hated someone so much in his young life.

* * *

Ash practically hit his head on the ceiling he shot forward out of his bed so fast. He felt as if his lungs were going to pop because of how heavily he was breathing. Using the back of his palm, he wiped the sweat from his brow and rubbed it off his hand with his blanket. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath. He held his head and told himself over and over, _it was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. _

Eventually his heart rate and breathing slowed down. Ash's head fell back on his pillow and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to forget the awful nightmare he just had. It was more than a nightmare though; it was his childhood. All of that actually happened and he remembered every bit of it so vividly it scared him. Ash's thoughts were put to a halt when his mother burst into his bedroom with a tray of food.

"Ash, my wonderful, grown up son, I made you some breakfast!" she sang while forcing the tray onto his lap.

Ash sat up in his bed. "Wow mom, this looks great." He only sounded half convincing due to the fact he was still preoccupied about his nightmare.

"Anything for my birthday boy." She smiled and clapped her hands together.

Ash dropped his fork, causing it to make an obnoxious sound against the glass plate. "My birthday… I completely forgot."

"How could you forget your own birthday?" his mother asked with her hands on her hips.

Ash diverted his eyes to the floor. "I guess I've been distracted."

Delia sat on his bed beside him. She gave him a look of concern. "You've been having that dream again, haven't you?"

He sighed. "I don't know why I've been having it so much lately. It's getting to the point where I don't even want to go to sleep. I'm afraid I'll have it again if I do."

"Well, you can't not sleep, honey," she said to him. A pause rose between them and Ash didn't touch his breakfast after that. Delia smiled. "Eat up. If the soldiers see you let all that food go to waste they won't be happy, that's for sure."

Ash brought his breakfast downstairs and told his mother over and over that he wasn't hungry. She didn't want to hear it. She forced him to sit down at the kitchen table and finish it. She spent all that time on it so he was going to eat it and he was going to like it. Liking it wasn't the issue; Ash never had trouble eating his mother's cooking. She was like a cooking wizard.

For the past year or two it got harder and harder to make meals for Ash and herself. Ten years ago the Hoenn Soldiers invaded and destroyed most of their town. They came to Pallet Town for its rich soil and success in farming. Soldiers would get temporarily stationed in the town to recuperate by eating its healthy crops and staying in the homes of the townspeople until they were ready to go back out and fight. With all the soldiers eating their produce there was less for the townsfolk. Not like they could fight back, for every one of them there were twenty Hoenn soldiers. With the soldiers also came more industry which tainted areas of farmland.

Because the Hoenn soldiers, more commonly known as Hoes in Kanto, practically burned down Ash's entire town, he and his mother now lived in the dilapidated, ramshackle leftovers of their old house. They managed to rebuild the roof and the walls that had burned down. The windows were plastic squares they found in the junkyard. All of their furniture that got destroyed in the raid had to be replaced with furniture from the junkyard and some neighbors that didn't have such an unfortunate thing happen to them donated some of theirs. Their living space was a lot simpler but life became all the more complicated.

* * *

Ash ran through the streets of town, searching for his mother. He had no other option but to go back home. He stumbled numerous times in his slippers as he dashed down the dirt road. Endless amounts of black smoke rose up in the sky from a source in the distance. Standing on top of a small hill he spotted an ever-growing ball of fire. He raced towards it once realizing it was his house. His home.

He found his mother watching the flames consume the structure. He walked to her side and slid his hand into hers. She didn't have to look down to know it was her son. Tears slid down her cheeks as a man and his orange winged beast stepped away from their house. He had a smirk like no other. Alls it contained was pure satisfaction and evil. The man dusted off his hands like he just performed some gratifying task. Ash was so enraged and shaking with hate, he didn't see how he appeared inside his house. Before he could figure out how he got there, the flames were surrounding him. His mother's cries echoed in his head.

"Ash!" she cried. "Ash! Ash!"

Ash jumped with a frightened gasp. He checked his surroundings. The raven haired teenager was no longer in an inescapable fiery prison. He was in one of the few fields left in Pallet Town. The fields were where the Hoenn soldiers made the men work during the day. The soldiers demanded the fresh produce on a regular basis in order to recover speedily, and the herbs did wonders for their wounds.

"Ash, you all right, man?" Richie asked, patting his daydreaming friend on the back.

Ash held his throbbing, sweating forehead. "Yeah, it's just the heat. I think I slipped off into a daydream… or a day-nightmare more like."

Richie offered Ash his canteen. "That one of the raid?"

Ash took the canteen, remembering his own was empty, and gladly took a swig. "Yeah," he answered after swallowing.

"Why has that been haunting you so much lately?" Richie asked.

Ash shrugged before handing the canteen back. "I have no idea. But it's getting pretty annoying. I can't sleep and now I can't work."

Richie leaned forward to look Ash in the eye, who had been staring at the ground the whole time. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ash suddenly looked up with a broad, artificial smile and smacked Richie on the back. "Of course not, we're men! Men don't talk about things like their dreams or their feelings."

Ash went back to picking berries and Richie shrugged before tending to the plants again. "Okay, if you say so."

Ash was fortunate enough that, even though he had to break his back all day in the fields, he could work side by side with his friend Richie. Teenagers and kids stopped attending school three years back when the Hoenn soldiers burned it down. They were worried the schools would implant rebellious ideas into the children's minds. After that, if they deemed you old and or strong enough, you worked in the fields.

Unfortunately, because he got to work with Richie and other teenagers his age, he also had to deal with Gary Oak.

"Here comes Prince Charming," Richie warned Ash in a sarcastic mutter.

Gary approached the two with the sack around his shoulder nearly full of produce.

"Better be careful, Ashy boy," he said. "If the Hoes catch you dozing off they'll burn down your house again."

Ash grinded his teeth. "Careful, Gary, I hear if the Hoes catch you being a douche they chop off your-"

"The Hoes love me, thank you very much," Gary interrupted, dusting the dirt off his shoulder.

Ash waved his clenched fist at the shaggy, brown haired teen. "Only because you're a suck up. Might as well join them."

Gary narrowed his eyes at his adversary. "They love me because I get the job done. And for your information, I plan on joining the Kanto army like a real man. Besides, I'm no traitor."

"You're joining the army?" Ash pulled back, a tad surprised.

"My father, his father, and his father's father all joined the army. Each man has an honorary title to their name for their years of service and heroic deeds. I'm not just going to ignore generations of hard work. I'm going to do the right thing and enlist in order to carry on tradition." Gary snickered. "But what would you know about tradition? You don't even know who your father is."

Richie had to hold Ash back from launching himself at Gary and starting a fight. The loud bickering and commotion caught the attention of the few Hoenn soldiers on sight. They ran over and pulled the two teenage boys away from each other. Gary was sent back to his assigned area, which was really only a few feet away, and Ash was clonked on the side of the head with the end of one man's gun.

"Get back to work, you good for nothing peasant," the soldier seethed.

"Don't let Gary or the soldiers get to you, man," Richie whispered.

Ash rubbed the tender bump on his head. "I'm going to prove them all wrong. I'm going to prove everyone wrong. I'm going to give them all what they deserve."

Richie's eyes were wide with apprehension. He knew Ash could be determined and a bit stubborn, but he was worried where this conversation might be headed.

"What are you talking about?"

Ash stood up straight and declared, although not loud enough for the soldiers to hear, "I'm going to enlist in the Kanto army."

* * *

As his footsteps fell against the ground one by one, Ash had the growing impulse to vomit. A continuous pain stabbed at his stomach as the building grew closer. All the air was expelled from his lungs when he stood before the entrance doors. His arms shook as he reached for the handle. He stepped inside and found himself standing cowardly behind his mother.

"And if I refuse?" The glare she was giving was severe and enraged, not very common for his mother.

A row of men in maroon uniforms stood before him and his mother. He clung to the back of her shirt, not completely aware of what was happening. Each man had his arms crossed with a malicious grin plastered on his face.

"You want your son to live, don't you?" the one towards the center asked. He was a highly decorated soldier and his jacket was a bit different than the rest, showing he was the leader out of the group.

Tears gathered in the corners of Delia's eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, hoping Ash wouldn't understand what was happening, for his own mental sake.

Delia swallowed hard, trying to regain some of her composure. "Okay." Her voice was shaking. "What exactly do you want?"

"It's no secret that you can cook. Just feed me and any of my men that come into town to recuperate and don't be surprised if any of them spend a few nights with ya," the higher up soldier told her.

"If I'm going to be cooking for that many men everyday I'll need a place to do it all. My house isn't nearly big enough to seat all of your goons."

He groaned in annoyance. "If it'll make you stop fussing my men will build you something down the street to work in." The men formed a line towards the door, the leader up front. As they marched out the door the decorated officer gave a soft slap to Delia's rear end. "I'll be stopping by tonight," he whispered.

Ash shook his head vigorously, which only made his headache worse. The stale taste of throw up crawled up his throat and sat on his tongue. He was too young back then, but now he realized what those soldiers really meant. What they really did to his mother. His fists shook in anger, and now more than ever he wanted to join the army so he could shoot every last one of those lame-brained soldiers.

His attention was brought back to the building he was now inside. It was sort of similar to a soup kitchen but for wounded and tired soldiers. Each one was in some variation of maroon or red because each one was from Hoenn. A good amount of chatter was going on but that didn't distract Ash from spotting his mother serving two men their supper.

Ash approached her nervously. "Mom, I have to talk to you."

"Can't it wait until later, when we're at home?" she asked, setting down two bowls of soup.

It wasn't exactly a question. Delia was traipsing around the dining area like a busy Beedrill, pouring soup for the soldiers and fetching them some alcoholic beverages. She wasn't interested in hearing what Ash had to say at the moment, partly because she didn't know how important it was. As he watched her hurry around the room, tending to the enemy, Ash couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. His mother had already suffered a lot from the war, and now he was thinking of going out and basically encouraging the continuation of it. Then again, he owed it to her to help put a stop to it, after all the pain it has caused them.

"I want to be a soldier, mom."

Once he spat it out he felt tons better, but with one fell swoop, the entire room went dead quiet. Every Hoenn soldier glared right through him to his very core, probably wishing he'd burst into flames right where he stood. The look on Delia's face was of utter horror.

"With that hick slur I'm assuming you aren't from Hoenn," one soldier stood up and said. "Do you realize what you just did, son? You just declared yourself an official enemy to the country of Hoenn in a room full of Hoenn soldiers."

Delia waved her arms frantically. "No, no, he was just joking!"

A few more soldiers stood and one even shouted, "We might as well kill him now!"

Ash felt his stomach drop to his feet and that puke came closer and closer to actually escaping from his lips. He tip-toed toward the door as Hoenn soldiers began to surround him. Delia stepped in front of him, and Ash found himself tugging on the back of his mother's shirt as a group of Hoes stood before them, just like ten years earlier when Hoenn first invaded.

"Ash, run," Delia whispered through her clenched teeth.

Ash booked it out of the building and two bullets were actually shot at him, but he made it to his house unharmed. Scared for his life, but unharmed. He pressed his back against the front door after locking it. Air went in out of his lungs so fast he was worried they would explode.

Meanwhile, Delia shoved a soldier back into his seat. "How dare you. You call yourselves soldiers? Whoever just shot at unarmed, not even enlisted eighteen year old boy should be ashamed. You just embarrassed your country. If taking cheap shots at innocent people is how you plan on winning the war then shoot me now." The room was quiet again, and to her surprise, her speech was working. Each soldier was looking at the ground in deep thought. "Now I'm not sure if he is actually serious, but that is my son. And if any one of you does anything to hurt him, I wouldn't come here to eat my food ever again. I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Got that?"

Perhaps it was because Delia had actually gotten to know a bunch of these men, but they really seemed to have heard what she said. They didn't try to kill her, which is what she imagined they'd do to any other citizen that spoke out like that. She was grateful they simply went back to eating moments later.

* * *

Later that night, Ash was getting ready to go out to dinner for his birthday with his mother. He didn't care how lame it seemed. Besides, he had no other plans and he knew how happy it would make her.

So, he buttoned up his white dress shirt and then slung a black skinny tie around his neck. He combed his hair, which was still damp from taking a shower about an hour before. He then went into the bathroom and looked at himself closely in the mirror. Rubbing the stubble on his neck and chin, he thought about leaving it there. He decided it would probably delight his mother even more if he shaved on his birthday. After shaving, Ash slipped his feet into his old penny loafers and placed his favorite baseball cap on his head, before heading downstairs.

His mother waited at the bottom of the stairs, playing with one of her earrings. She wore a silk red dress with a black sweater on top. The earrings she played with were pearls which matched the necklace that hung around her neck. These were a few valuables the Ketchum's managed to keep after their house burned down and the years of Hoes staying in Pallet. To Ash's surprise his mother's auburn-brown hair was down and curly rather than in the usual ponytail she wore. He made sure to compliment how nice she looked. His mother, of course, returned the compliment.

"Do you have to wear that old hat of yours though?"

Ash reached up to remove the cap. "Would it make you happy if I didn't wear it?"

"Yes."

The black haired boy quickly put his arms back at his side and smiled. "Then I'm wearing it."

Delia narrowed his eyes at him. "Ash Ketchum, I am not going out to a nice restaurant with you wearing that silly hat."

The teen laughed and took the baseball cap off. "Relax, mom, I was only joking around." He offered his arm. "Shall we head off?"

Delia smiled before linking her arm with his. "We shall."

Just as Delia reached for the doorknob, a car horn squeaked from outside. She opened the front door to reveal Brock, Ash's close friend from Pewter City, waving and smiling from inside his black 2005 Ford Fusion.

Ash stepped outside, his face showing how puzzled he was. "Hey Brock, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to treat you to a night on the town! I got tickets to the famous water show in Cerulean City." Brock held the two pieces of paper high in the air.

"Oh, I hear that show is quite the experience! Very excellent reviews it's gotten. You should definitely go, Ash," Delia insisted.

Ash stood there silent for a moment. He then looked at his mother, all dolled up, over his shoulder. He couldn't help but feel guilty abandoning his own mom to go hang out with his friend. He had to go to dinner with her. It would also be a good opportunity to talk about joining the war.

"Actually, I was just about to go out to eat with my mom," Ash told Brock as he pointed his thumb at her.

Delia placed a hand on Ash's shoulder and spun him around. "Ash, honey, you go with Brock. Don't worry about me. We both know you'll have a lot more fun if you spend your birthday with your friend in the city rather than cooped up in this ole farm town with your lackaday mother."

Ash thought about it then smiled. "Thanks, mom, you're the best."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, I started out with the cliché "waking up from a dream" thing. But I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter regardless! I also have a feeling that Ash was a bit bland and OOC. I tried going back and spicing up his lines of dialogue in order to make him more like the obnoxious, thick-headed enthusiast we all know and love :]

So I've had this idea for a long, long time. We were learning about the draft and the Vietnam War… or was it the Korean War? I'm not sure. Anyway, we were learning about it in history class and the idea for a Pokemon fic just popped into my head. Now I know Pokemon war fics have been done a bajillion times but hopefully mine is done a little differently.

Keep in mind, this is an AU. Ash, Misty, Brock, and the rest are all older and not every character will look and/or act the same way as in the anime and what not. Some characters, like Professor Oak for example, will not have the same status as well. In my story he is not a professor but rather a war general.

I've done a lot of research and planned this story out a bunch in hopes that'll help it be more decent and successful. But, if you notice anything weird or something doesn't make sense, please feel free to point it out! Constructive criticism will only make this a better story and make me a better writer.

Lots of important characters were introduced in this chapter! But one of my favorites will be introduced next chapter. Yes, Ash will finally meet Misty in the next update :]

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you decide to stay tuned for the next installment!

p.s. Sorry for the long author's note, they won't typically be this long and gabby :]


	2. The Invasion

An hour later Brock was searching for a parking spot near the large theater where the show was being held. With no luck he had no other choice but to park on an island of grass. His Ford struggled to scale the curb but after a couple of seconds of pressing hard on the gas the car eventually conquered the raised pavement. Before climbing out of the car Brock handed Ash his ticket. They quickly hopped out of the vehicle to be sure they would have enough time to find their seats. The two smiled eagerly as they gazed up at the towering aquarium

As they followed the sea of people flowing into the theater, Brock said, "Sorry if the show ends up being lame but the after party will totally be worth it, and you can't get into the after party without a ticket or an invitation."

"There's an after party?" Ash asked with a raised brow.

Brock looked at him in shock. "Didn't I tell you?" Ash shook his head. "I heard whoever runs the show hosts a huge party in some secret location afterward. And you know what that means? Lots of booze and lots of babes." Brock grinned while nodding. "Not everyone knows about it though. It's exclusive to the youngest and hottest people in town."

Brock was tall, tan, and muscular: everything a guy could hope to be. His eyes were on the narrow side and his dark brown hair was short and jagged. He wore an orange short sleeved shirt and brown corduroys. His smile was white and dazzling. His appearance reeked charm but his personality- not so much. Although Brock was a pretty attractive guy he never had luck with women, which was unfortunate for him considering he loved women.

Ash had been friends with Brock since he could remember. He wasn't sure how the twenty-two year old was able to avoid getting drafted the last four years, but he was grateful for it.

The two found their seats among the crowd. The theater was enormous with rows of seats encircling a giant tank of water, which sat in the center of the room. Seaweed, other ocean plants, and rocks all sat at the sandy bottom and at the top of the tank was a high stand with a diving board on it.

The lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the performers dove off the diving board and into the tank. Lots of different types of water type Pokemon were included in the show and performed astounding tricks for the audience. There were three girls that held most of the spotlight. They all looked very similar, except one had bouncy red hair, one had curly blonde hair, and the third had straight black hair. All three were thin and beautiful. They wore sparkling mermaid costumes and the length of time they were able to hold their breath underwater was impressive.

Brock nudged Ash in the side and whispered, "Check out those girls. Pretty hot, am I right?"

An hour and a half later the show ended and it received a thunderous round of applause. The three women waved and bowed before exiting the tank and disappearing behind a curtain.

"What I would do to get with one of them," Brock said and stood from his seat. He could not wait any longer to get to that party.

Through word of mouth, Ash and his impatient friend were able to find the location of the after party. Amazingly, it was beneath the theater itself. Behind the curtain the three girls disappeared behind were a door to their dressing rooms and then a case of stairs. Once everyone in the audience had exited the aquarium, those who knew about the after party descended the steps, and upon entering everyone was forced to show a ticket or invitation to the bouncer.

The underground room was quite the spectacle. The walls were all just giant fish tanks, with dozens of different and colorful sea creatures swimming around inside. A bar sat on one side of the room and a stage on the opposite side. Sets of tables were scattered through out and not a single wine rack hanging from the ceiling had an empty slot. A man played the piano with much zest while a trumpeter, trombonist, bassist, and female singer accompanied him. The band played lively, catchy music in order to get the party going, and it took barely any time for the revelry to begin.

Ash could hardly hear himself talk over the loud music, chatter, and drunken laughter. The room was so crowded it was impossible to stand anywhere without people touching you. Everyone had an open bottle in their hand and a smile on their face. Some how, Ash found himself grasping a shot glass at the bar. Brock stood next to him along with the three girls from the show. The five of them tapped their shot glasses against the counter and counted to three before gulping down the shot. It was Ash's first time tasting alcohol and it slightly burned his throat as it slowly slid down. The taste wasn't too pleasant but he wasn't going to let that prevent him from having a good time.

Soon enough Ash consumed a few more drinks and the rest of the night became a blur. He felt like alcohol's puppet. He felt like he couldn't control himself from taking more shots and popping open more bottles. He felt like he couldn't control himself from dancing with strange girls and even giving one a peck on the lips. But most of all he felt like couldn't control himself from watching the redhead singing up on stage.

* * *

The next morning came and Ash found he was unable to move or simply open his eyes. He couldn't help but groan in agony for it felt like he was buried under a pile of bricks and couldn't escape. Light flooded his eyes and what were at first blurry outlines eventually made themselves clear. The first thing he saw was the face of a girl. And fortunate for him, she was a very attractive girl. In fact, he immediately recognized her as the redheaded singer from the jazz band. He then noticed she was naked under the bed sheets and so was he. _Oh my god, I had sex last night? Wow, good thing I can remember it, _he thought.

All of his attempts at hoisting himself off the bed were unsuccessful. He wanted to figure out where he was, but as long as he felt like this that wasn't going to happen. He figured he definitely wasn't at the underground bar anymore. They must've been in the girl's bedroom, which was at least better than being butt naked on the street.

Ash picked himself off the bed, mouth carelessly hanging open, and scanned the floor for his clothes. He took a step forward which turned out to be a bad idea. He stumbled into the nightstand and practically knocked over the lamp on it. Luckily, he caught it, himself, and managed not to wake up the girl. Ash held his head. The strange lack of sensation yet immense amount of pain he felt was unlike anything he ever experienced before.

"Oh god." His words slurred together like his tongue was swollen.

He spotted his clothes scattered on the floor, leading up to the bed along side articles of female clothing. Ash managed to bend over and pick up his clothes without throwing up everything he ate yesterday. After getting dressed, Ash was close to fleeing the premises and never coming back. He was already embarrassed that he slept with this girl and didn't remember, although she was extremely beautiful. She looked to be around the age of twenty. She was slender and had flawless, pale skin. Her hair was more of an orange-red and about shoulder length. Her eyes, from what he remembered from last night, seeing her up on stage, were enchanting and unlike any other blue he had ever seen. Score one for Ashy boy.

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to wait for her to wake up or just avoid all of the awkwardness and leave. He wanted to go but something truly horrible stopped him. A gold band with a shinning diamond was wrapped around her left ring finger. Not only did he have sex with this girl, but he got engaged to her as well? Ash could no longer breathe. His throat felt like it had caved in on itself and his pounding headache from his hangover intensified. His stomach fell to the floor and his eyes shot out of his head. If his mother wasn't going to kill him before she was definitely going to now. How was he going to explain this to her? And how on earth Ash got the ring he had no idea, but he knew now he had to stay and wait for his fiancé to wake up.

The girl rolled onto her opposite shoulder and let out a faint, drowsy exhale.

"Oh good, you're up," Ash observed.

She turned onto her back and an annoyed look came across her face, although she kept her eyes shut. "Not exactly."

"Well too bad. We have to talk about that monster sitting on your finger."

Ash pointed to the ring, but it didn't matter. The redhead was still attempting to get some more rest despite Ash's pestering. The hungover teen trudged over to her side of the bed and did his best to shake her awake without vomiting all over her. Finally, after rubbing the crusts from the corners of her eyes, the girl glared up at him angrily.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

Ash took her left wrist and waved it around. "Yeah, you can help me by getting this_ thing_ off your finger."

The girl groaned in annoyance before sitting up in bed. Ash raised his hand to shield his eyes from the exposed woman.

Ash turned his head away. "Do you mind?"

The redhead pulled the sheet over herself. "God, you're acting like a child."

Ash put his hand down and fixated back on the ring. "I said take that ring off! Whatever happened last night was a mistake. I do not want to be engaged to you and you do not want to be engaged to me."

"You can't tell me what to do!" she scoffed in disgust.

Ash threw his arms up in the air. "If I'm gonna be your damn husband I can tell you what to do all I want!"

The redhead covered her wide yawn with her hand. "Wait a second, I'm sorry, but can I at least put some clothes on before I start arguing with some stranger?"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I thought you'd never ask."

Ash turned his back as the blue eyed girl retrieved some clean clothing from her closet. _Why couldn't I have left before I saw the damn ring? Me and my stupid morals._

A minute or two passed and Ash was growing impatient. He wanted to sort out this whole ordeal before leaving this town and never looking back. He then wondered where Brock was at the time. He hoped with all his might that Brock didn't leave without him. He hoped that the car was still at the aquarium parking lot, parked up on the grass. He hoped his mother wasn't going to feed his remains to the Hoenn soldiers for being gone so long. But most of all, he hoped he really wasn't engaged to this stranger.

"Oh, by the way, so we're not 'strangers' anymore, my name is Ash."

"The name's Misty. You can look now."

Ash spun around to see the redhead looking as radiant as the night before. In that short amount of time Ash had his back turned for, Misty was able to make herself look as good as new. Ash couldn't say much the same about himself.

"So before you get your panties in even more of a bunch, listen: you don't have to worry."

Ash raised his pointer finger. "Yeah, see, I disagree."

Misty placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to worry because I'm not engaged to you."

Ash watched the woman exit the room with his jaw dropped. He wasn't sure if she was joking or not. But he was sure that his head started to pound again and his stomach flipped upside down. So now he had sex with a woman that was going to be marrying someone else? And note, she didn't seem too upset that she had just cheated on her fiancé.

"Wait… what?" Ash chased after her.

He followed her down the stairs which led them to the kitchen. Even though the two were bickering the whole way, Ash was still able to notice how surprisingly opulent her house was. It was practically a mansion. The two then fought all through breakfast, although Ash refused to eat anything. In the midst of their squabbling, they were interrupted by shrill cries coming from outside. Ash peered out the large bay window at the front of the house to see the blue sky being overwhelmed by black smoke. This was all too familiar to him.

Misty gripped Ash's arm tightly. "Ash, what's happening?"

"It's a raid."

"What?" she gasped.

"Cerulean City is being invaded. We have to go _now_."

Ash dragged Misty out her front door. She yanked her hand from his grasp. "What are you doing? Don't you think it's safer inside?"

"Are you brainless? These are Hoenn Soldiers. They specialize in fire type Pokemon. When they see a house this nice they will burn it to the ground without caring whose inside. They can't have any threats to them as long as they occupy a town whether it'd be someone with wealth or someone with power."

Misty began to breathe heavily in a panic. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

"Calm down, it'll be okay. Just run somewhere safe and hope no one kills you." After that, Ash quickly descended the front steps, leaving Misty standing there.

"Oh, like that's supposed to calm me down."

Ash picked up the shining, red bike lying at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Misty hurried down her front porch.

"I'm borrowing this," Ash told her as he swung his leg over.

"But wait, that's _my_ bike!"

Ash shouted over his shoulder, as he pedaled away rapidly, "I'll give it back someday!"

For now, Ash had to throw all of his worries about Misty to the back of his mind. He had to focus on finding Brock and their car. If their car was destroyed then they'd have no way out. And if the Hoes found out they were Kanto teenage boys from a different town, then they would be in quite the pickle.

As Ash rode through the streets of Cerulean City his memory of where the theater was located slowly came back to him. The roads were empty though, and that concerned him. When Pallet got invaded people were running through the streets screaming and men dressed in maroon were marching toward the nearest edifice to burn it down.

Eventually, the almost empty parking lot came into view and Ash spotted the car parked up on the grass. As he approached the entrance of the parking lot, without thinking, Ash just hopped off the bike in the middle of the street and dashed towards the vehicle. All he could think about was finding Brock and getting out of there.

As Ash reached for the door handle he heard a loud crunch from behind him. He whirled around after being startled, his back pressed up against the car, to see that a robust winged beast had crushed the bike as it was stomping through the city causing terror. A man with a scar running down his chin and neck was walking beside the monster, cackling as buildings finally began to catch fire. Rage, shock, and utter hatred coursed through Ash's veins. His muscles tensed and his back stiffened after immediately recognizing this as the man who had burned down his house when Ash was a child. How badly Ash wished to run over and beat and strangle the man.

"Ash, is that you?"

A muffled voice from inside the vehicle brought Ash's attention back to reality. To his surprise, it was Brock, who had apparently passed out in his Ford after the intense party the night before. Brock opened the door and Ash quickly shoved him out of the driver's seat while ironically asking him to move over. Brock's head wound up near the floor and Ash swiftly snatched the keys and revved up the engine.

Brock was able to fix his positioning in his seat in time to see the frightening sight of a man's face smacking into the windshield of his precious car. After suffering major whiplash, Brock stared at Ash in pure shock. His best friend was gripping the wheel so tightly his arms were shaking. He swore he could see steam being expelled from Ash's nostrils like he was a furious Tauros preparing to charge. A crack in his windshield and some splattered blood indicated that Ash had seriously hurt this man.

After a long moment, which consisted of nothing but the two boys catching their breath, Brock just asked, "What the hell, man?"

Ash didn't reply, instead he slammed on the accelerator. The car bounced, almost causing Brock to hit his head on the ceiling, as it ran over the highly ranked soldier Ash had just barreled into. Breathing even heavier and faster, Ash sped away from the crime scene as more and more of Cerulean City was consumed by flames.

"Once again… what the hell?" Brock shrieked, his heart pounding out of his chest as he clung onto anything he could. "You just ran a dude over!"

Alls Ash could say was: "Yeah, I know."

"Well then, answer this question for me… ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

"Quit yelling!" Ash punched Brock roughly on the shoulder without taking his eyes off the road.

Brock tried removing Ash's hands from the steering wheel. "I can't let you drive anymore! You have clearly lost it _and_ you cracked my windshield!"

"Can't you just trust me? I promise I won't run over anyone else."

"Well, that's a relief." Brock crossed his arms and sat back in his seat, indicating he'd given in. "Where are we going anyway?"

"To pick someone up."

* * *

"Get in the car," Ash demanded.

He barely brought the vehicle to a stop in order to let Misty climb inside. She looked even more panicked than before while Brock had a puzzled expression plastered across his face, most likely due to the fact that he didn't know who this person was.

"Ash, who is this strange girl that just got in my car?" Brock asked, pointing his thumb at the redhead.

"I'm Misty," she panted, out of breath from the stressful situation.

"Brock." He offered his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Misty went to shake it but was practically tossed onto the floor because of Ash's hasty driving. The raven haired teen was zigzagging through the city, trying to avoid fleeing citizens and destructive soldiers. Brock and Misty were being thrown around in the back seat, their skulls smashing against the windows and bonking the ceiling. At one point Brock was sprawled across Misty's lap and the two laughed awkwardly.

Misty gripped the arms of her seat so firmly her knuckles colored white. "Ash, I know this is going to be hard for you, but could you try to drive like you're not a crazy person?"

"Good luck with that," Brock muttered.

"Slow down this instant!" Misty ordered.

Ash turned the wheel sharply, causing the tires to screech against the pavement. "Do you want to die, woman?"

"No but I don't think I have much of a choice as long as you're the one driving!" The blue eyed girl leaned forward and flicked his ear with much force.

"Hey!" Ash cried, batting her hands away with his own.

Brock finally separated the two. "Will you keep your hands to yourself? The man is trying to drive!"

Soon enough Ash's reckless driving caught the attention of some Hoenn soldiers. The men mounted their Rapidash and Arcanine in order to pursue the trio. Streams of fire blasted at them every so often and Ash did his best to evade the attacks.

"Hey." Misty looked around and in the trunk of the car. "Where's my bike?"

"Oh, uh-"

_Crash_. The airbag instantly popped out of the steering wheel and whacked Ash in the face. Brock rubbed his nose after it hit the head rest in front of him while Misty rubbed her neck from the sudden whiplash. Something had stopped them dead in their tracks, and it had to be huge. Once the airbag deflated Ash was able to glance at whatever crushed the front half of Brock's car. All three of their jaws dropped when they saw it was the orange winged beast, the Charizard that belonged to the man Ash had run over. The creature had impeded the moving vehicle with its bare claws.

Brock buried his face in his hands when he saw the damage done to his car. Ash was shaking in pure terror. Was this Charizard going to ruthlessly set their car on fire and leave them to burn to death? He certainly hoped not. But the terrifying thoughts and stressful situation clogged his throat so he could no longer breathe. Then, everything went black.

* * *

A/N: At first I thought this chapter sucked, but after reading it a couple times it's not as horrible as I thought. I had a lot more fun writing this chapter than the first one, and when I have more fun sometimes it worries me that I may have been slacking off. Does that ever happen to you?

You'll begin to discover that I LOVE leaving cliffhangers, even if it is the cliché blacking out one.

Fun fact: in the very first draft of this chapter (I've written several) Ash slept with Daisy, Misty's older sister, rather than the redhead herself.

And if you noticed, kudos to you, because that is indeed the EXACT same dialogue Ash and Misty exchange when Ash steals her bike in the TV show. I did that on purpose, because I love cheesy stuff like that :]

Liking the story so far? Well, stay tuned for the next chapter where Ash learns he can't just run over anyone he wants with a car. Thanks so much for reading this! I hope you decide to stay tuned for more!


	3. The Escape

_Thump… thump… thump…_ The continuous rhythm of thumping played in Ash's head as he slowly regained consciousness. Slices of dim light shone in the cracks between his upper and lower eyelids. The small amount of light was too much for him to handle at the moment, so he snapped his eyes back shut. He moaned in agony. His head anchored to the hard surface beneath him. Ash didn't bother trying to remember what happened last before he wound up wherever he was. He limited his focus on opening his eyes.

Again Ash made an effort to view his environment, and this time he was able to conceive blurry outlines. Soon the distorted shapes and figures melted to perceptible objects and surroundings. Ash found himself confined in a dark room, which would shake when the thumps in the rhythmic pattern arrived. It became quite obvious that he was in the back of trailer truck. It became even more obvious that he had been kidnapped. Though he was not the only one that had been snatched, for Misty and Brock lied unconscious beside him. Oddly, Ash was relieved to see them, despite the unfortunate situation he had been thrown into upon awakening.

A burning sensation wrapped around his ankles and wrists. He wriggled his limbs as limited as he could, and felt thick rope binding his hands and feet together. Misty and Brock were in the same condition, and until they woke up, Ash had to lie there hopeless and his mind empty of any ideas to get them out of this predicament.

He could barely hear this weak, trembling voice. "Aaa… Aaaasshhh?" it croaked.

The teenager opened his mouth to speak but the only sound that emanated from his throat was the lack of moisture crackling. He tried to develop some saliva in order to swallow and cure his thirst, but that didn't seem possible either.

"Aaash? Muh-Misty?" another voice murmured.

Ash panted before he was finally able to speak. "Brah-brah-Brock? M-Misty? You guys okay?"

He could hear in their voices they felt just as groggy and terrible as he did. "Where are we?" Misty squeaked.

Ash mustered enough strength to lift his head, in order to give it a break from pounding against the cold floor. "In a truck I think."

"Why are we tied up? What's going on?" Ash wasn't sure why Misty was so confused about the situation.

He cleared the stinging mucus from his throat before answering. "Isn't it obvious? We've been kidnapped."

It didn't take long for Misty to gain complete awareness and return to her old self. "Well, since you're so informed about the current situation, perhaps you'd like to explain to me why we've been kidnapped?"

Brock was able to prop himself up against the side of the truck. "It's probably because he ran over that guy."

"You ran someone over?" Misty yelped.

"Yep, a Hoenn general," Brock told her.

Misty shook with fury. "You are so lucky I'm tied up right now, Ash Ketchum. If I got my hands on you you'd be dead."

Ash didn't think much before he spoke. "You had your hands all over me last night and I'm still here."

The few minutes after Ash said that consisted of obnoxious bickering between a screaming redhead and an argumentative eighteen year old. Brock wished he could have plugged his ears or smacked either of them across the face in order to silence them, but he couldn't free himself from the knots. Suddenly, three bangs interrupted the quarreling twosome.

"Keep it down back there!" a voice from the driver's compartment demanded.

The trio sat with their backs against the interior of the tractor trailer. They were silent for a few minutes, mostly because they were terrified if they talked, whoever was driving would go back there and shoot them. Ash, Brock, and Misty also took the time to catch their breath and rest their eyes. Their heads were throbbing and oddly, Ash's tongue felt like it weighed ten pounds. It dangled out of his mouth as he tried to think of a solution.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth. You're not a Growlithe," Misty nagged. "Although, you're just as mangy."

Ash closed his eyes and rested the back of his head on the wall. "Do you ever shut up?"

Misty growled and clenched her teeth, restraining herself from yelling at him even more.

Brock brought their focus to the vital problem. "Well, we can't just sit here. Who knows where they're taking us. We have to figure a way out of here and fast."

"Neither of you have a pocket knife or anything we could use to cut these ropes?" Misty sounded surprised as well as disappointed.

"Well, you're a girl." Ash lowered his eyebrows at the redhead. "Can't you use your nails or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe I had sex with you."

"Likewise," he seethed.

Brock couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Wait… what? You two slept together?" He looked at Ash, his face reading pure shock. "Is that how you know her?"

"That's the problem," Misty interrupted. "He doesn't 'know' me at all!"

Brock just stared at her and blurted out, "Uh, gross?"

This time, Ash restored their concentration on the crucial circumstances. "Whatever, let's just forget it ever happened and figure a way out of this mess."

"Luckily I do keep a pocket knife with me, but it's in my pocket of course." Brock chuckled sheepishly.

Ash blearily glanced at Misty and gave a slight nod towards Brock. "Misty, be a doll and fetch the knife out of Brock's pocket."

Misty looked back at him in repulsion. "No way, I just met the guy today! Awkward much?"

Ash groaned in annoyance. "You're really going to make me crawl all the way over there to get the knife myself?"

"Stop whining and get over here so we can get these stupid ropes off us," Misty commanded.

The raven haired teen groaned once again before swinging his body onto the floor and slinking to the other side of the truck. After bruising his chin, ribs, and knees in order to slowly snake his way over, Ash made it to Brock's side. He managed to sit up again, amazingly without discovering the urge to vomit. Ash scooted as close as he could to Brock's hip and blindly searched for the lump in his pocket. Brock gave him a few instructions on how close he was, effectively avoiding the awkward possibility of an accidental groping session. The search was proven triumphant when Ash's fingers curled around a metal, oval shaped object.

"Got it!" Ash declared as he whipped it out of his friend's pants pocket.

He flipped out the blade and began sawing away at the ropes fastening his wrists together. It took a few moments to cut through each gathering of binds, but eventually the three were able to quietly and successfully free themselves. The relief of their limbs being liberated was like no other sensation any of them had ever experienced. All of the blood rushed back into their feet and hands, causing their appendages to sting and tingle with the excitement of normal blood flow being rejuvenated.

They wiggled their limbs a bit and shook them for a moment before attempting to get to their feet. The occasional bumps in the road were still shaking the truck, which made it difficult for the trio to remain stable at first. Using the inside wall of the truck, Ash and Brock managed to pick themselves off the floor. They had to lean on the wall for a while due to the fact that their legs were a bit overwhelmed with all of the weight they suddenly had to support again. Once Ash learned to maintain his balance, he offered Misty his hand and helped her up as well.

Now they were onto the next obstacle: getting out the back of this truck. Ash pushed on the two, large back doors but they were locked. This did not surprise him. Brock tried picking and then digging his knife in the crack between the two doors, hoping he would hit some sort of hinge or switch that would either unlock the trunk or simply break the lock. No luck.

"I bet if the three of us charge with all our might, we could bust down these doors," Brock proposed.

"Are you crazy?" Misty shrieked. "First of all, all of the racket will definitely get the driver's attention. What if he stops the truck and comes back here to kill us? Second of all, if we _were_ to bust down these doors, we'd fall out and get hurt for sure."

Ash made his hand into a fist. "It's a risk we have to be willing to take."

Brock added, "And if we don't try escape, who knows where this guy is taking us. No doubt he's taking us somewhere to be charged for murder and then be put to death."

Misty pointed a finger at herself. "I didn't do anything wrong, thank you very much. I wouldn't even be in this situation if Ash hadn't run over some random guy on the street with _your_ car."

"It wasn't some random guy, 'thank you very much'," he said mockingly. "That man burnt down my house when I was just a kid."

The redhead raised one of her slender eyebrows at the teenager. "So you ran him over?"

"Well, what would you have done?" he asked.

Misty paused for a moment and then answered, "Probably run him over."

Ash smiled at the young woman and she faintly returned the gesture. Then, a huge bump in the road nearly knocked them all off their feet. The truck was now crawling up a steady incline. Ash had to dig his heels into the floor in order to prevent his body from being propelled toward the back end of the trailer. They all finally agreed at attempting to barge out of the back of the truck. The road they were on was extremely rutted and rocky, so the noisiness the road and the engine were making together would certainly make it hard for the driver to hear all of the commotion the trio was about to create.

Ash, Brock, and Misty stood with their backs pressed up against the wall furthest from the doors. Misty bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she waited for Brock to count to three. Three! Ash was the first to release, then Brock and then Misty. They each rammed into the trunk doors about a second apart. The metal shook from the bodies crashing into it, but otherwise not much damage had been placed onto the exit.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose. "C'mon guys, we have to hit it all at the same time or else this isn't going to work."

After two more tries the group achieved tackling the wall in sync and accurately each time. However, it would take more than those two tries to knock down this barrier. The next attempt caught the attention of the driver. He banged on the wall three times and told them to "settle down back there" in an especially intimidating tone. Their hearts began to race with the thought of someone finding their mutilated bodies in the back of some Hoenn trailer truck.

Misty eyes began to water. She fanned herself with her hands and shifted her weight to her toes. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can do this," she squeaked.

Ash placed one had on Misty's shoulder and the other on Brock's. "Everyone just remain calm. He hasn't threatened us yet or anything so let's just concentrate on busting down those doors."

Misty nodded before regaining some of her composure. Once again, Brock counted to three and they charged, and once again they were unsuccessful. After another attempt their shoulders began to throb and they panted in exhaustion. Each attempt that appeared ineffective only sucked the hope out of the triad of escapees. They no longer felt determined or motivated, but downcast and hopeless.

Misty dropped to her knees. "So this is how it all ends: in the back of a smelly, old truck with two random morons."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Oh, like we're so thrilled to die along side you."

"Guys, no one ever said we're going to die here. I won't allow it. Now get off your knees and let's try one more time." Brock pressed his back against the wall and waved, urging the two. Misty got to her feet and the two placed themselves next to the brown haired man. "This time we're going to go at it with all our strength. No more mercy!"

Ash nodded, his determination reinstated. "That son of a bitch is going down."

"Ready?" Brock asked, his eyes unmoving from the spot where he planned to hit with all his might. "One… two… THREE!"

Ash and Brock hollered like bold, spirited warriors charging toward their opponent and ready to slay them. The trio's tackle was perfectly synchronized. The lock on the other side of the door, trapping them inside, snapped in half. The doors immediately swung open. Their bodies flailed in the air for a moment. The truck continued ascending as the three fell towards the ground. It all happened in the blink of an eye. None of them had any time to brace themselves for impact or absorb any of their surroundings.

Ash belly flopped onto the dirt road and his body shuddered from the forceful collision. He then felt himself tumbling down a hill, his eyes shut tightly in fear. Rocks and dirt pierced his fragile skin. He was not able to stop himself from rolling since his arms were still quavering and shocked from the fall. So many thoughts ran through his head: how was he going to stop himself? If he couldn't, how would he stop? Would he roll off a cliff and his innards would lie splattered at the bottom? Where were Misty and Brock? Were they rolling down this steep hill too?

A level area of land allowed Ash's momentum to decrease. He finally came to a halt with his face buried in the dry, itchy grass. He didn't care how uncomfortable this was, he just wanted to lay there for all eternity. He took advantage of those few moments to catch his breath and let his heart rate slow down, all the while thinking about all he had suffered through the last couple of days. Happy birthday to him.

Ash lifted his head to see nothing but darkness surrounding him. It was hard to even see the prickly grass beneath him. The only light provided were the dazzling stars hanging above his head in the night sky. He rolled onto his back to get a better look. His previous wonders of Brock and Misty's whereabouts had escaped him. He was just happy to come out of this situation alive.

A sudden high-pitched scream scared the living daylights out of him. He whipped his arms and legs through the air before scrambling to his feet. The familiar feeling of his heart pounding against his ribcage returned. Someone near by was in danger, and judging by the shrillness of that scream it was Misty. And if she was in danger that meant there was something in close proximity that could potentially be a threat to Ash as well. He contemplated between fleeing and hurrying toward the cry in order to help her.

_Why should I save her? _Ash thought, _she's a massive bitch. _Misty shrieked a second time. _Alright, alright, I'm coming._

Ash cautiously made his way to where he heard the frightened screams come from. His eyes became better adjusted to the lack of light, but not to the point where he could spot the sharp rock a couple feet ahead. _Thump_. Ash crashed to ground. He tried to stop himself with his hands, but the only thing that came out of that effort was ripped skin and bleeding palms. A third screech brought Ash back to his feet and he raced towards to damsel in distress.

"Misty?" Ash called out. "Misty, where are you?"

"I'm up here!" Her voice was trembling with pure terror.

Ash squinted his eyes to see Misty hanging from a tree branch, only bringing her about two feet off the ground.

"What's wrong? What happened? Is there something in the grass?" Ash asked, overcome with slight panic.

"No! It's right next to you!" She kicked her legs in frenzy. "Just get it away! Get it away!"

There, at his feet, sat a plump, wide-eyed Caterpie. The wiggling insect looked up at Misty anxiously. It purred in delight every time she spoke or even moved the slightest. Ash laughed boisterously and wondered what the little caterpillar even wanted with Misty.

"You can't be serious! You're afraid of an itty-bitty Caterpie?" Ash ridiculed.

"Bugs are disgusting! They're slimy and crawly and creepy and I just don't like them, okay!" Misty shouted, squirming in disgust and refusing to let go of the tree branch.

Ash bent down and smiled at the critter. "Look how cute he is! This must be the friendliest Caterpie in the whole world. I bet he just wants to be friends, Misty."

"I don't need another friend! What I need is for you to get that thing out of here!"

Caterpie hopped up in order to get closer to Misty. Her fourth scream was the loudest one yet. Ash covered his ears as the shrill noise resonated from her mouth. Misty swung her legs over the branch so the Caterpie wouldn't be tempted to latch on to her.

Misty began to dry cry. "This is the worst day of my life!"

Ash crossed his arms, pleased with the event taking place. "I don't know, Misty. I think this just made my day a little better."

"If I ever get down from here you're going to regret it," the redhead growled.

"Ash, Misty, where are you guys?" a voice asked.

The loud voice startled the Caterpie, and within a second he had dashed into the tall grass behind some trees. Brock emerged from a rather wooded area and at this point all three of them were well adjusted to seeing in the dark.

"I finally found you guys," Brock sighed. "…why is she up in a tree?"

"There was a giant, disgusting Caterpie attacking me!" Misty at last felt it was safe enough to let go.

Brock raised an eyebrow. "What is she talking about?"

Ash shrugged. "I have no idea."

Misty grabbed his collar and pulled him in close. "You saw it! You know what I'm talking about! You saw it basically rape me!"

"Whoa, Misty, we don't need to hear about what you do in your free time." Ash had to keep himself from bursting into laughter.

A few minutes of Misty shouting and shaking Ash by the collar went by. Every few sentences Ash managed to weasel in a small comment that only made her face closer to the color of her hair. Sometimes when Misty went off on these enraged tirades, Ash simply thought about how she was able to breathe when she was just spewing angry words every second.

"Well anyway, are you guys all right?" Brock asked once Misty finished.

"I rolled down a hill for about ten minutes," Ash told him. "But I'm fine."

"I'm okay besides a few scrapes and bruises… and that dumb Caterpie." Misty crossed her arms and pouted.

Ash bent over tiredly and let his arms dangle. "I'm exhausted. Where are we going to sleep?"

Brock looked in each direction with his hands on his hips. "I guess we could camp out here."

"Camp out? Here?" Misty shrieked. "You've got to be kidding! Not after that Caterpie molested me!"

"Then where do you suggest we go?" Brock glared at her in annoyance. "It's pitch dark out and we have no idea where we are. If you want to wander off and find another place to sleep, then by all means, be my guest."

* * *

The sound of different Pokemon cooing, hooting, chirping, snoring made it impossible for Ash to fall asleep. The hard, wet ground didn't help his cause either. Brock on the other hand, found this environment most desirable. He was always a bit more outdoorsy than Ash. So, with not much else to do, Ash lied in between Brock and Misty with his hands underneath his head, gazing up at the vast, twinkling galaxy.

The raven haired teen thought about all that had happened the last few days. On his birthday he went to the water show in Cerulean City. At the after party he got completely wasted and woke up hung over the next morning to discover he had slept with Misty the night before. Hoenn soldiers invaded Cerulean City that morning, Ash ran over the general who had burned down his house when he was little, and then a giant Charizard smashed Brock's car. Ash immediately blacked out. When he woke up he found himself in the back of a truck with Brock and Misty, and now, after they managed to escape, they were on some giant hill who knows where. Simply remembering all of that was exhausting.

Ash then thought about his mother, and how she was going to kill him when he got home. He'd been missing for two days and it was pretty much a guarantee that she called the police by now and sent a search party for him. The next thought to cross his mind was the fact that he was now wanted by the country of Hoenn. That couldn't be good.

"Can't sleep either?"

Misty's voice startled him, even though her whisper was so quiet he could barely hear her.

"Too much to think about."

Misty sighed. "I know what you mean. I can't stop thinking about Cerulean City. My home… my sisters… my friends… I hope they're all okay."

Ash considered telling her everything would turn out all right, but he knew that would be a lie. Taking into account what happened to his home town when Hoenn invaded, it was most likely that her house was burnt to the ground. And her sisters could be anywhere. They could've been killed, kidnapped, or absolutely safe for all he knew. But who was he to give her false hope? Then again, who was he to crush her spirits? He opted not to say anything.

She rolled onto her shoulder to face him. "What are you thinking about?"

Ash shrugged, not taking his eyes off the stars. "First I thought about everything that's happened. Then I thought about my mom and then I was just thinking about how I'm wanted by Hoenn soldiers now."

"That _is_ too much to think about."

Ash felt Misty's eyes on him. He wasn't sure if she was watching him with concern, sympathy, or some other ulterior emotion, but he knew that her fixed stare was making him uncomfortable. Perhaps she completely forgot that they had sex the night before, but if they agreed to never mention it again he was pretty sure having a deep conversation wasn't protocol. Neither was looking at him endlessly. Ash turned onto his shoulder, facing away from the redheaded girl. She sighed after he muttered good night.

Ash's hip and shoulder dug into the solid ground. Lying on his back was superior in terms of comfortableness, but then again he'd have to risk Misty staring at him again. And that was far more uncomfortable than any cold, hard earth.

* * *

Misty's eyes shot open as soon as she felt a painful nudge in her side. She rolled over, her mouth watering with the taste and early morning satisfaction she was about to receive from giving Ash a piece of her mind. The slumbering teen had elbowed her hard in her stomach and he wasn't about to get away with it. The look on Ash's face immediately stopped her from spitting lividly at him. He looked disturbed and frightened. His eyebrows were low and quavering and his lips were subtly forming the shape of silent words. His muscles were tense and his limbs twitched in motions that appeared similar to running. His body was covered in sweat.

Every trace of rage temporarily vanished from Misty's spectrum of emotions and was replaced with concern. She bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether to wake him up or not. It was obvious Ash was having a terrible nightmare. What Misty didn't know, was that it was more than just a nightmare: it was his childhood.

* * *

Ash's heart pounded as hard as his feet were hitting the dirt road. Trying to remember how he got himself in this dangerous situation caused him to fall behind. The back of Gary's head and the others disappeared as they headed down a steep hill. Ash wanted nothing more than to drop everything he was lugging and collapse to the ground, seeing as his lungs were about to do such.

He did remember Gary somehow convincing him to steal some food and medicine from the Hoenn recovery center on the edge of town. A group of intimidating peers circled Ash and glared at him until he agreed. They figured due to his scrawny build and small size, he'd be a talented sprinter. Evidently not.

The next thing he knew it was well past midnight and Gary and his followers dragged Ash out of his bed by his ankles. The thirteen year old turned completely red in the face when they pulled him out from under his covers and he was wearing nothing but boxers. They didn't care. They pushed him outside and cautiously scurried to the recuperation building. Ash shivered and rubbed his goose-bump covered arms as the group of boys pressed their backs against the brick wall.

Gary received the signal that the coast was clear. They squeezed through a window and carried as much as they possibly could in their adolescent arms. Ash was still shaking, even more at this point due to nerves. He was shuddering so intensely that everything almost flew out of his clutches. But once the gang of young thieves slithered out the front door without being noticed, Ash had no choice but to stop shaking. Now he was running. Running the hardest and fastest he had ever run in his thirteen years of life.

Gary and his pals eventually made these nighttime robberies a habit. Ash became the key to breaking in. He could crawl through cramped areas and narrow passages, unlocking the door to the building from the inside, so the rest of the burlier teenagers could sneak in. But on this night things didn't play out as smoothly as they normally did. There he was. He appeared out of no where. It seemed as if he were skyscraper towering over them. The Hoenn soldier peered menacingly at them. He had no time to conjure whatever Pokemon he owned so instead he retrieved his rifle.

Ash found himself sprinting down the dirt road once again. The cold air quickly entering and exiting his mouth made his chest sting. _Bang. Bang. _The soldier fired two bullets at them. One of the shots struck the ground near Gary's feet. Gary's laugh, riddled with victory and adrenaline, echoed in the night sky. He and his friends laugh loudly and hollered like hooting Pidgey on ecstasy. Tears collected in the corners of Ash's eyes. The Hoenn soldier chased after them, and three more heard the ruckus and joined the pursuit. _Is this really how it ends for me? _Ash asked himself.

A cold sweat coated Ash's body. His fierce and swift arm swings and leg mechanics, combining to formulate his sprinting, gradually morphed into his limbs oddly twitching. His surroundings began to fade to darkness. He felt disturbed and frightened, not knowing where he was heading and what would be there when he arrived.

A face. The face of a woman to be specific. She hovered over him, glancing down at him in concern, her orange hair falling from behind her ears and into her face like silk. As his eyes opened wider and an uncontrolled moaned escaped from his throat, a devious smile stretched across her pale face.

"You were having a nightmare. About what exactly? How stupid you are and how no girl in the world would ever date you?" Misty derided.

Misty. The annoying nutcase was still there when he woke up. He couldn't believe it. Ash covered his face with his arms to rid the sight of Misty's face and the sun spilling around her and blinding him.

"She's still here." The statement was directed towards Brock.

Brock answered drowsily, "Maybe if we pretend she's not here she'll leave."

Ash was a bit surprised Brock hadn't tried to flirt with Misty at all. Ash had to admit she was extremely attractive, overlooking the fact that she had a big, fat, ugly mouth. Perhaps that's why Brock hadn't taken interest. Then Ash remembered it was more likely because he slept with her.

"It's about time you guys wake up. We have to figure out where we are and what we're gonna do," Misty nagged.

She got to her feet and dusted the dirt off herself. After stretching her arms up and twisting at her waist to crack her back, she attempted to kick Ash awake. He was still covering his face and attempting to ignore her, but when someone is jabbing your side with their shoe this early in the morning, it's pretty hard to ignore. Eventually, Misty annoyed Ash and Brock enough to the point where they picked themselves off the ground and started walking. The trio's goal was to find the nearest town or any form of transportation or communication. Ash's personal goal was to keep himself from strangling Misty throughout the day and Brock's goal was to restrain himself from killing both of them as their typical bickering ensued.

* * *

A/N: Okay so I wrote this chapter about a month ago, and back then I thought it was rather uneventful and slow. I still think it's a bit slow and might seem boring to a few people, but I decided I quite like this chapter. I feel like I'm really starting to allow the characters, especially Ash and Misty, to shine through the dialogue. Dialogue is always my favorite thing to write.

I don't have much else to say about this chapter. There are some parts I'm rather proud of, like Ash's line "You had your hands all over me last night and I'm still here" and the Caterpie scene.

Thanks so much for reading this far! And remember, constructive criticism is always read and appreciated :]


	4. Boot Camp

Whoever said war is hell, they were right. Ash woke up lying in the middle of a wooded area. He felt a throbbing bump on the back of his head and wasn't able to recall how it got there. He couldn't remember why he was alone in a dense forest either. Ash leaned forward and cracked his back. His whole body felt incredibly stiff from lying on the hard dirt for however long he was there for. From how sore his neck was, he'd guess for a quite some time.

Ash then realized when he touched his head something seemed to be missing: an unkempt mop of black hair. His head was shaved and he was wearing a grayish-green uniform that was covered in dirt and had a few tears in it. The eighteen year old closed his eyes which allowed his mind to recollect all that had happened since he, Misty, and Brock had escaped from the back of that Hoenn soldier's truck.

After finding civilization and finally getting home, Ash had a long discussion with his mother about joining the army. She begged and pleaded that he not go, but he insisted he had to. She wept for days. Then two weeks ago he got shipped to a boot camp in the Safari Zone near Fuscia City. Lieutenant Surge, the biggest, buffest man Ash had ever laid eyes on, greeted the soon-to-be soldiers when they got off the bus. For two weeks they went through extremely strenuous training. Ash was convinced that Lieutenant Surge was determined to make them all as muscular as he was. Lucky for Ash he was the smallest one in the bunch. And of course destiny would have it so Gary Oak, Ash's lifelong enemy, would be in the same troop as he was. Joy.

Ash felt a twinge creep up his spine and then stop at the bump on his head, causing it to ache even worse. This happened when an image of Gary clobbering him over the head with a branch appeared before his eyes. Ash grinded his teeth when he finally remembered that the entire troop was in a footrace to get through to forest. The first to reach camp got to pick their partner first, second would pick next, and so on. In the beginning, Ash easily passed all the others, because the benefit of being the scrawniest soldier in his group was that he was also the fastest. Gary was the only one close to competition, so when the arrogant bastard got the opportunity to get ahead of course he took it. That's how Ash wound up here.

The sky was transitioning from day to night, with most of it overwhelmed by a glowing dark blue but some swirls of violet and orange still remained on the horizon. Ash was able to get to his feet and walk the rest of the way to camp. He arrived when there was no trace of daylight left. The stars and crescent moon had been the only sources of light to help guide him back. Camp was deserted and he was sure everyone had chosen their partner by now. Ash wanted to cry at the thought of all of the available Pokemon being taken. He also wanted to cry because he had just walked for three hours after being knocked unconscious. He wanted to cry because he missed his mother and the comfort of his own bed. He wanted to cry because he hadn't shared a laugh with his friend, Brock, in two weeks. He wanted to cry because he didn't have someone like Misty to yell at and take all of his frustration out on.

He had to remind himself why he was there. He was there to not only make his mother proud, but to make himself proud. He wanted to prove everyone wrong who doubted his capabilities. He wanted to put a stop to this war that was causing his mother and country so many problems. Sure, he wanted to cry, but he wanted to be something substantial even more so.

* * *

Lieutenant Surge addressed him in front of the entire troop the next morning.

"Ketchum, where the hell were you yesterday?"

"I uh… got lost in the woods, sir."

"Do good soldiers get lost for twenty-four hours in the woods, Ketchum?" the lieutenant asked.

"No, sir."

He had the troop in a line before him like he did every morning. Here he typically told them what activities and training the day would consist of. He would also address any news or problems. This was Ash's first time getting singled out negatively. Usually if Surge ever spoke to Ash in front of the whole group it was to commend him on his astonishing agility or outstanding effort. Ash could have told the highly ranked officer what had really happened, but he figured good soldiers weren't tattletales either.

"Do you think you should be punished for not being able to handle such a simple footrace?" Surge's nose was practically touching Ash's.

Of course Ash didn't want to get punished. He didn't do anything wrong. Saying no would sound as if Ash thought he was too good for this place, and saying yes would make it sound as if he felt guilty and was trying to suck up.

He replied, "It is your decision, Lieutenant."

Surge stood back up straight and stared at Ash with a quizzical look. A prolonged silence made Ash start to sweat due to nerves. He feared the lieutenant's giant, tan fist bombarding him with multiple strikes. Instead he just rubbed his chin. The uneasy feeling in the air was beginning to make some of the other trainees tense as well. Gary seemed to be the only enjoying himself. He was grinning uncontrollably, hoping Ash would receive the punishment of a lifetime. If Ash did get chastised he knew how glorious Gary would feel for being the cause of his suffering.

"Do you men think Ketchum should be punished for his lack of efforts?" The lieutenant asked the troop. Ash wondered if Surge was simply prolonging his humiliation by asking them, or if he was genuinely conflicted on whether to penalize him or not. Surge stood before Gary. "Mr. Oak, do you believe Mr. Ketchum should receive punishment for failing to perform adequately?"

Gary waggled his eye brows as he stared forward, still grinning. "Yes, sir."

Surge began to pace in front of Gary as he questioned him. "Would the fact that you arrived at camp first influence your judgment?"

Gary rolled his shoulders back pompously. "I put two hundred percent into everything, lieutenant. If the other soldiers here are not willing to do so then they should not even be called soldiers."

"You're one to talk," Ash muttered.

The broad, muscular officer quickly glared at him. Ash snapped his head back, straightening his posture and hoping that his overseer hadn't heard what he said.

Surge inhaled a large amount of oxygen before announcing, "Everyone besides Ketchum is excused from today's training. Once I dismiss you, you may head into town or do whatever you please." A look of absolute joy and excitement came across each of the men's faces. Some even gave each other high fives. "However!" he boomed, grabbing the attention of his troop once again. "If a single one of you is missing when I check your cots tonight, you will all wish you had never been born come tomorrow. Bed inspection will be at midnight. Dismissed."

The troop dashed towards their respective cabins to prepare themselves for a day of relaxation and a night on the town. They cheered and shouted in victory, relieved that their bodies were going to be able to have one day to rest. Ash watched them all shove each other around and he envied their revelry. But most of all he wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of Gary Oak. Not only is he the reason he's standing here, waiting to receive a punishment that will no doubt leave him in pain for days, but Gary threw him right under the bus as well.

Surge looked down on Ash, and he could see the disappointment in his eyes. He tried with all his might to keep his body from shaking and the beads of sweat from rolling down his temples, but he was very unsuccessful at doing so. The raven haired teen could have sworn he saw a twinkle of pity appear in Surge's eyes.

"What do you think your punishment should be?

Ash didn't answer. He was too scared.

Surge got in his face once again. "Hmm?"

His voice squeaked like he was thirteen again. "Like I said before, sir, it's your decision."

Lieutenant Surge then said something that Ash did not expect. "I'm pleasantly surprised with you, Ketchum."

Once again, Ash didn't answer. This time because he was not quite sure what his leader meant.

Seconds later Ash was given the first part of his punishment. He was to do jumping jacks until the lieutenant told him to stop. After for what Ash guessed was probably an hour, he was then told to do crunches until further instruction. Ash estimated this lasted for about another hour. Next were sprints, then push-ups, then mountain climbers, then chin-ups. Each exercise lasted longer than the one before it, and each one got harder as they went along. Surge stood and watched Ash the entire time. Simple things like standing and breathing became more difficult, only because Ash was putting all his effort into each exercise

Finally, he was given a break. The sun was beginning to set and shadows were overwhelming the camp which was entirely surrounded by woods. Ash had his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. The oxygen was entering and exiting his lungs so rapidly it burned his throat and pained his chest. Sweat dripped off the tip of his nose and soaked his entire body. It even collected in his eyelashes and trickled into his eyes, making them sting severely. Surge just stood and watched Ash suffer, although when Ash finally looked up his lieutenant did not seem like he was getting any joy out of treating Ash this way.

"You got stones, kid."

Ash wondered if he heard him correctly. He was so confused, but mostly just exhausted. Right now he concentrated on collecting his breath and remembering how to stand up straight.

"There's no way in hell any of those other 'soldiers' would have done what you did today. You think Gary would have kept his mouth shut like you did? Fuck no!"

Ash finally stood up straight and gave Lieutenant Surge the most puzzled look he could conjure up the energy to make.

"Don't act like you don't know what the hell I'm talking about! I know that bitch clobbered you over the head to get in the lead. I mean an astronaut from outer space could see the bump on the back of your head." Ash felt the bump, forgetting that it was even there. "I don't know whether I want to smack you across the face for being so stupid or kiss you for being possibly the best hearted person I've ever met. Why do you think I pushed you so much today, Ketchum? I was trying to see if you'd break. I wanted to push you so much that you'd finally confess that Gary is a cheating son of a bitch and that's why you came in last. But you didn't even come close to cracking. That's real stones, Ketchum. You'd rather take the bullet than take the easy way out. That'll come in handy when you become a real soldier."

Ash couldn't help but smile the broadest, proudest smile he'd perhaps ever articulate. "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much!"

Surge slapped him on the back, returning that very same smile. "You're destined for great things, I can tell you that. This war needs a man like you. And I know you're probably freaking out thinking all the Pokemon are taken. Unfortunately there's only one left you'll have to be stuck with. But I don't think it's anything you can't handle. Tomorrow we start training with our partners, so just wake up a little bit early so you can meet yours ahead of time."

"Thank you, lieutenant," Ash said with complete sincerity.

Surge gave the skinny teen a quick salute of respect. "You're done for the day, Ketchum. Get the hell out of here. If I were you I'd either hit the town or hit the hay."

Ash saluted back. "I think I'm going to get some rest."

"Good choice. The fact that you picked sleep over getting hammered only makes me respect you more."

* * *

The next morning Ash met Surge in one of the larger buildings on camp. This was where all the Pokemon stayed when they weren't getting trained. One room in the building was for feeding, another for bathing, a third filled with cages they all slept in, and the last room contained a small pool, swings hanging from the ceiling, and other doodads that the Pokemon could be entertained by. After Ash's tour he was brought to the room where all the Pokemon were slumbering soundly, that is until they heard the door open. The roar of loud chirps, barks, squeaks, squawks, and all other sorts of noises nearly burst Ash's eardrums. Surge seemed quite used to the deafening greeting as he led Ash down the aisle of cages.

By the time he stopped walking most of the creatures had gotten used to their presence and quieted down. The cage they stood in front of was rather small. Ash peered in to see a small, chubby, yellow rodent cowering in the back corner. Tiny threads of electricity extended from the mouse's red cheeks as it growled at the two men looking in at it.

"No one claimed this one, so it looks like it'll have to be yours," Surge told Ash.

"What's it called?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu," he answered.

Ash put his fingers around the bars of the cage and smiled at the unfriendly monster. "Hi there."

The yellow mouse revealed its teeth and growled with even more anger at Ash. He quickly backed away to avoid being shocked.

The lieutenant shook his head. "You can probably see why none of the other men chose it. It's quite… stubborn. It really hates being confined, so when you take it out try not to hug it or squeeze it or anything. I wouldn't suggest doing that in the first place since it'd probably electrocute you."

Ash gulped.

"You get this thing to warm up to you then you're an even better soldier than I thought." Surge clapped a hand on Ash's shoulder. "I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will be no easy feat. Training starts in about fifteen minutes, so maybe by the time everyone else gets here, it won't be as much of a bitch by then."

"You've got to be kidding me," Ash muttered, rubbing his increasingly aching temples.

"I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't think you couldn't handle it, Ketchum. Now be a man and accept your responsibility as a soldier."

Ash stood up straight and saluted. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

The highly ranked officer returned the salute before exiting the room. Ash glared at the growling Pikachu, which only glared back. It wrapped its jagged tail around its body and released more weak bolts of electricity from its cheeks, doing so to simply intimidate Ash. Sadly, it was working. Ash collapsed to his knees, hoping the past few days had been all but a terrible dream.

Ash buried his face in his hands. "All my life I've wanted nothing more than to work with Pokemon some day, and the opportunity finally arrives and I get stuck with a rat that has anger management problems." Ash opened the cage and hung his hand about half a foot away from the yellow mouse. "Maybe if I just keep my hand here it'll get used to it…"

Seconds later Ash felt a painful jolt trickle up his arm. He quickly withdrew and yelped in pain. A faint smirk appeared on his partner's face. If this mousy brat wasn't going to let him even near it, then how was Ash supposed to get him out of the cage for training? Ash didn't want to go to training anymore. It would be so humiliating to show up as one of the best in the troop with the worst Pokemon in the bunch. There was no doubt that everyone would make fun of him. The Pikachu didn't look that intimidating either. Ash imagined Gary towering over him with a fire breathing beast burning Pikachu and him to ashes.

The other soldiers started arriving and taking their Pokemon outside to go train. Ash tried to pass it off as if he was just hanging around all aloof, but there was really no sense in that. Each of them knew Ash had gotten stuck with the most bratty, uncooperative one of the group, and they just sniggered as they passed by.

As soon as they were all gone Ash tried reaching for the rodent again. This time he was able to touch the rat's short yellow fur but as soon as it felt the foreign fingertips' contact another jolt of electricity shocked Ash's arm. Like when receiving a burn from a stovetop, the teen quickly pulled back and instinctively shook his arm. The hair on his limb was completely sticking up and thankfully the only pain he felt now was a strange tingle throughout his right appendage.

"Can you get off your period for one minute so I can just pick you up and bring you outside?" Ash shouted in frustration.

The Pikachu got up and lied down again facing the back of its cage.

Ash kicked the empty metal cage next to it. "Well if you won't let me pick you up will you at least _follow _me outside?"

The electric rodent didn't growl, hiss, or even budge. Ash stormed outside where Lieutenant Surge had the men lined up in front of him already. Every soldier was trying to keep their partner under their control. Ash felt a little better about his current standoff when seeing most of them had their Pokemon with choke collars and short leashes. Even Gary was having trouble keeping his blue turtle from chomping on its leash.

Ash approached the lieutenant. "Nice of you to finally join us, Mr. Ketchum," he greeted.

Ash cleared his throat and whispered, "Um, sir, I can't exactly-"

"You're going to have to speak up, son," Surge boomed.

"Well you see uh… my uh…" Ash turned hot with embarrassment. He heard all the soldiers stifling their laughter.

"Spit it out!" Surge commanded.

Ash averted his eyes to the ground. "The Pikachu won't come out of its cage, sir."

"Really? It's still being a stubborn bitch?" He sounded surprised.

"Yes, sir. It's already shocked me twice."

The officer shook his head. "If you can't touch that thing there's no way in hell I'll be able to do it."

"Well, do you have any rubber gloves?"

"Rubber what?"

"Gloves, sir."

Gary cupped his hands around his mouth. "What? You can't get your Pikachu to come play so now you're going to do some cleaning?" The troop chuckled.

Ash glared at Gary. "Rubber doesn't conduct electricity, idiot."

Gary jumped towards Ash but some of the other soldiers held him back.

Surge stepped between them and waved his arms in a way to calm the sudden burst of commotion. "Whoa whoa! You two men got a problem with each other?"

Gary pointed at Ash forcefully, two soldiers still holding him back. "He is not a man! That _boy _is a disgrace to this troop and the war in general!"

"You're the one that fucking cheats his way through everything! You're the disgrace!" Ash shouted back.

The once organized line quickly turned into a circular blob of chaos. Some men were forming a circle to watch Ash and Gary fight it out while others were still trying to hold them back and away from each other. Surge, as large as he was, was standing on the outside trying to wiggle his way in. He had never seen such turmoil erupt in his camp before and he honestly did not know how to handle the situation. Lots of yelling and shoving is all that really happened until Gary finally got two feet from Ash. There he threw a punch but Ash ducked.

Before anyone was able to actually start a fight Surge screamed so loud it shook the entire forest around them. Surge screamed so loud that they actually all stopped what they were doing. Surge screamed so loud that when he started talking he almost had no voice to even do so.

"I have never been so shocked or disappointed with a group in my entire career!" His now raspy voice cracked but it didn't make him any less intimidating. "You want to fight like a couple of delinquents still in high school, then go. But not in my camp! I won't allow it! You are all supposed to be a troop- a family! You want to fight?" he asked.

No one knew if they were supposed to answer, they were too scared anyway.

"If you want to fight then you will fight like real soldiers. With your partners. You both have two days to prepare for this."

"Wait… what?" Ash panicked. "I don't want to fight- I can't! My partner doesn't-"

Surge got in Ash's face and said back at a normal volume, "I don't care what you say. You disrespect another soldier in my camp, then you must do what I say." The lieutenant looked back at the entire group. "I'm done for the day. You guys can train or do whatever the hell you want, I don't care right now." He walked towards his cabin and muttered to himself, "Disgraceful…"

* * *

Some men took this opportunity to get smashed in Fuscia City. A few tried training with their partners, but ultimately gave up and went to get drunk as well. That left Ash alone trying to figure out how he was going to get this Pikachu to like him. Luckily he found some rubber gloves and was able to pick the stubborn creature up and sit him on the ground next to him. Ash plopped down on the floor and smiled at it.

"You know, you don't have to hate me," Ash told it. "I don't hate you. The only thing I can say I hate with confidence is Gary Oak."

It still didn't look happy.

"Once you meet him you'll hate him too."

Ash proceeded to tell the Pikachu the story of how he and Gary almost got in a fight that day and Lieutenant Surge probably lost all that new found respect for him. Ash was basically back where he started. He then started rambling, admitting he couldn't remember why he was even here anymore. After a couple of seconds he remembered. He wanted to prove everyone wrong, one of those people being Gary.

"Wouldn't you want to prove everyone wrong by getting out there and upstaging all their dumb Pokemon? Everyone thinks you're a pathetic, scared-ZZATTTHHHHHAHHHHHH!"

The red cheeked rodent electrocuted him. If Ash hadn't been temporarily paralyzed because of the shock, he would've been impressed with the monster's strength and amazed by the vibrant, electrical wonder that it was able to conjure from its own body. But the searing pain told him that was enough bonding for one day.

* * *

Two days later, with not much progress made with his partner, Ash walked into the cage room to prepare with the Pikachu for their butt whooping that Gary would give them later that day. However, the electrical mouse was not in its cage. Ash checked the feed room, because sometimes Surge would feed the troop's Pokemon in the morning, but it was not there either. He then strolled into the play room, where he saw numerous Pokemon swimming and running around.

A burst of boisterous laughter brought Ash's attention to the far corner. There was a group of some of his fellow soldiers gathered but he couldn't see what for. As soon as he heard Gary's obnoxious, nasally voice he dashed over to them.

"What's going on?" Ash pushed through them to see a bruised and battered Pikachu cowering from, who other, than Gary. "What the hell is going on?"

The laughter stopped and all eyes fell on Ash, but he was just staring in disbelief at his beaten partner.

"I said what the hell is going on?" Ash's voice grew ten times louder, conveying his growing rage.

Gary crossed his arms. "I was just putting your filthy rat in its place."

Ash was still so shocked and filled with disbelief that he didn't take immediate action. But it was Gary, so why was he so surprised? Ash knelt down and examined the Pikachu more closely. He was too afraid to stroke it comfortingly on the count of he could touch a bruised spot.

"You should've seen it just growl and cower. It didn't even do anything about it. Pathetic," Gary snickered. "A weak Pokemon for a weak soldier."

Ash stood up and screamed, "What is wrong with you, man? First you knock me out and now this? You can beat on me all you want but you leave my Pokemon out of it! Got that?"

The Pikachu lifted its head and watched Ash come to its defense.

"You don't tell me what to do. Okay Ashy boy?"

Two of the soldiers held Ash back as Gary kicked the electric mouse so hard it skidded across the floor. Its yelp stabbed at Ash's heart.

"NOOOO!" Ash cried, actual tears beginning to run down his cheeks. "Leave it alone! Leave it alone!"

He tried breaking free of their grip to go save it but he simply couldn't. He had no choice but to watch Gary strike the Pikachu with his foot several more times. The weakened creature tried to lift its head up, but it could barely even open its eyes.

"It didn't do anything to you! Leave it alone!" Ash begged.

Ash elbowed both men in the ribs and broke free of their grip. He tackled Gary to the ground and smashed in his nose with his fist. Blood splattered everywhere but Gary was able to clobber Ash back. The raven haired teen managed to punch his rival two more times before the rest of Gary's entourage ran over and pulled Ash off of their leader. They held him still so Gary could wipe some of the pouring blood from his nose and then sucker punch Ash in the gut. The blow made him cough and cough. When Ash's head was hanging because he was groaning in agony, Gary uppercut his jaw and then hammered his left cheek bone. The Pikachu watched it all happen in a heap on the floor. Ash stood up for it, and now he was getting beaten by them just like it was.

Suddenly, Gary shook uncontrollably and his teeth clattered. His hair stood straight up and drool oozed from his mouth. The cruel teenager collapsed to the ground and behind him stood, although barely, Pikachu. Ash used whatever strength he had left to smile. Gary's possy instinctively let go of Ash, which allowed Pikachu to leap into the air and electrocute them without having to electrocute Ash as well. They all crumbled. And who was left standing victorious? Ash and Pikachu.

* * *

A/N: So I realize the ending might seem abrupt, but there was no way Ash and Gary were going to have that battle after beating each other up like that, so there was no need to include it. And what's supposed to be important about this chapter is the special bond that forms between Ash and Pikachu anyway.

Yes, you may have noticed I made it so this chapter was a lot like the first episode where Pikachu is very stubborn but in the end Ash stands up for him, Pikachu saves the day, and they finally become BFFs :D

And an extra thanks to everyone who has read and commented and favorited and alerted my story. It really means a lot!


	5. Reunited

As soon as he spotted the sensational twenty-something year old on the other end of the bar he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her shining red hair tickled her shoulders. A red cocktail dress hugged her curves. Her tongue ever-so-slightly glided across the shimmer of red lipstick before she bit her bottom lip in a worried way. Her skin so pale it looked as if it was kissed by the moon. An excess of saliva collected in his mouth as he hoped she would notice him. But why would she notice him? He was nothing compared to her. His once simply scrawny frame still maintained its skinniness, but now had a good amount of accumulated muscle which made his build appear a bit awkward. His hair was nothing what it used to be since he was forced to get a buzz cut every month. And all he was wearing was his military uniform, nothing special. So why would _she_ notice _him_?

"Ash Ketchum, is that you over there?" he heard a voice shout from the other side of the bar.

It took a couple of seconds for him to realize it was the highly attractive redhead who called his name. He immediately perked up at the prospect of her noticing him. Perhaps he did have a chance with her. It didn't take much longer for him to realize that this incredibly beautiful woman was Misty. The voice was unmistakable. He could not believe it. He hardly recognized her when she was all dolled up. But of course her obnoxiously loud voice brought back old memories of their bickering. All of those memories escaped his mind when she arrived at his side. He couldn't get over the fact that this was the same woman he wanted to strangle to death a year ago when they first met.

"I can't believe it's you! I mean, what are the chances?" To his surprise she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze.

"I can't believe it either." Ash stumbled over his words for he was not expecting her to hug him. "You look… great." He tried not to reveal how much he truly meant that.

She gave him a slight curtsy. "As do you."

A moment of awkward silence passed before Misty finally asked if he was saving the seat next to him for anyone. He gave her permission to sit.

"So what brings you to Fuchsia City?" Ash asked.

Misty looked downcast as she began to explain. She went searching for her sisters in Cerulean after the invasion, but unfortunately she couldn't find them anywhere. She sounded pretty confident in the fact that they got away safely and are now taking refuge in another city, but Ash didn't want to be the one to tell her the poor likelihood of that. Misty continued on by saying she and her fiancé lived in Vermilion City for a while, but he insisted they move since the water surrounding Vermilion gave the Hoes easy naval access to the city. After a couple of months they finally managed to sneak into Fuchsia, which was now home to hundreds of refugees. On top of all that, her fiancé was supposed to meet her at this bar about an hour ago, so his tardiness was probably the cause of her preoccupied expression he noticed before.

Ash felt a rush of disappointment once she mentioned her fiancé. He glanced at her ring finger to confirm that she was indeed still engage. He felt his stomach churn when he saw the same diamond engagement ring on her finger from when they first met. He wondered if she ever admitted to her fiancé that she cheated on him. She didn't seem to regret it at the time. Ash then had to remind himself that he shouldn't feel disappointed because it was Misty: the same loud mouth that he found irritating a year back.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "So have you been? Let me buy you a drink and we can talk until my fiancé gets here."

Ash lifted his beer. "Already got one, thanks."

"Well that one is going to run out eventually, so let me buy you another when it does and you can tell me how you ended up in this uniform," she insisted.

Ash took a sip of his beer before embarking on the tale of how he became a soldier. He told her all about boot camp, and how after boot camp he got based in Fuchsia City and hasn't been assigned much work besides patrolling around and standing guard at certain places.

"I don't really remember you being much of the drinking-alone-in-a-bar type of guy," she said before taking a sip of her margarita.

Ash forced a soft chuckle. "Well, uh… that's because my friend… my friend from back home passed away."

Misty gasped. "I am so sorry."

"He was a really close friend of mine… I'm going to miss him a lot." Ash downed the rest of his first beer. "I just found out today. As you can see, I'm handling it really well." He forced another smile towards his own sarcastic joke.

She rubbed his back in a circular motion. It sent soothing tingles down his spine. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure… I can try I guess." Ash cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Apparently he got caught stealing food by Hoenn soldiers, which occupy my town. He has a really big family and right now there's not much food available for everyone in Pallet so it doesn't surprise me that he was stealing to feed his family… he got… shot." Ash struggled to say that last part. He held back some tears that had been waiting to trickle down his cheeks all day.

Misty tried looking him sincerely in the eyes, but he had them tightly shut. "It's okay to cry, Ash. Just let it all out." She continued rubbing his back, which did help.

A tear made its way down his cheek and then dangled from his jaw line until Misty wiped it away with her thumb. He opened his eyes and no longer saw the infuriating loudmouth that he wanted to argue with constantly, he saw a beautiful woman and a good friend all in one.

"He always looked out for me. He was always the voice of reason and wanted nothing more than to help people and just enjoy life." Ash tried to keep his bottom lip from trembling. "I hate this war. I hate it."

Misty gave him a comforting hug and tears started to collect in the corners of her eyes now. They held each other for a long time, until both of them felt ready to part from their warm embrace. After that the two talked and shared drinks for a long time. Misty completely forgot about her fiancé and Ash completely forgot that she was even engaged. They shared stories from their new interesting lives and even managed to share some laughs after Ash's tragic news.

The more they talked and the more drinks they consumed the more Ash couldn't keep himself from gazing at Misty's glossy lips. He wanted nothing more than to feel their soft touch against his. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and suffocate her in kisses. Perhaps that was just the alcohol talking. Whatever it is was, he wanted it bad.

Misty could feel his eyes on her. She tried to look unaware by concentrating on the rack of different alcohols behind the bar and twirling the straw in her glass. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted even more than that. She shook her head to eliminate those unfaithful thoughts from her head. It didn't work. She could have sworn her engagement ring tightened its grip around her finger, as if it was nagging her not to succumb to infidelity with this man for a second time.

Ash's heart was pounding against his chest. He worried that if he leaned forward to kiss her he'd accidentally vomit on her instead. He thought about allowing her to have a few more drinks, and maybe, just maybe then,_ she_ would kiss _him_. Ash told himself not to think such things, because getting her drunk would be indecent of him. And why would she ever kiss him? She was engaged to someone else. But then again, she did it the first time.

Misty did the only thing she could think of to keep herself from doing anything she might regret. "It's getting late, so I should probably-"

He did it. He finally went for it and kissed her. She surrendered to these confusing feelings she was experiencing and kissed him back. Soon the two arrived at Misty's apartment where they did more then just kiss.

* * *

A loud, content yawn could be heard from the bedroom Misty and her fiancé share. However, last night Misty did not share it with her future husband, she shared it with a certain raven haired man from Pallet Town. A smile crept across her face as she rolled over and reached her arm out, expecting it to caress the soft yet bruised skin of a hard working soldier. Her hand felt nothing but the wrinkly surface of the pillow where Ash's head had once lie. She opened her eyes to verify the fact he was no longer there. Her tired smile quickly flipped into a disappointed frown.

Misty sat up and called out, "Ash?"

Her fiancé walked into their bedroom from the attached bathroom, holding a damp toothbrush. "What did you say, dear?" he asked with toothpaste starting to spill out the side of his mouth.

She collapsed back onto her pillow and sighed. "Nothing."

* * *

Ash watched as they lowered the casket into the ground. The weather that day mirrored his exact feelings of misery and hopelessness. The small group gathered around the grave site was quiet, besides a few sniffles coming from his mother. Ash was surprised she wasn't sobbing. Ash was surprised he wasn't sobbing. He hoped this war wasn't already sucking the emotions out of him.

Richie's little brother, the oldest of the siblings remaining, started to bury the casket which contained the teen's lifeless body. The funeral service hadn't been much. A few people said some things about him before the casket was placed into the earth. Ash vaguely remembered getting everyone's attention so he could say a few things, but what those few things ended up being about he could barely remember. The last few days had just been a blank.

Luckily the Hoes didn't care enough to stop any sort of funeral service in Pallet Town, just as long as the people they shot were good and dead. Again, it wasn't much of a funeral service anyway. Richie was just getting buried in the local cemetery next to the other twenty or so Pallet Town citizens who also died from causes of the war.

After his brother finished packing in the dirt, everyone offered the family their condolences. Each of Richie's family members was dressed in shabby hand-me-downs, which draped over their skeletal bodies. Ash felt sick to his stomach as he shook each of their hands and expressed how much he was going to miss Richie. He felt sick because he couldn't stand the thought that this poor family wouldn't have a great man like Richie looking out for them anymore. Now who was going to support them? They didn't even have a father. They lost him to the war a couple years ago.

"Richie loved you, Ash," Richie's mother told him. "He absolutely loved you. There were times where he wanted to join the war to be just like you, but he stayed here to help take care of us all." She began to cry, and Ash didn't know how to react. "You were his most important friend. I just wanted to let you know that."

Ash hugged her tightly, and could not keep himself from crying too.

* * *

Delia cautiously headed for the door after hearing two knocks against the wood. After tip-toeing over she peeked through the peep hole to see a man with extremely short, black hair standing on her front steps. He was wearing a suit and looked distracted as he stared off in the distant farmland. She raised a brow but ultimately decided to open the door. Once she realized it was her son she threw her arms around him and began to sob.

"My boy! My boy! My son!" she whaled, squeezing Ash so tightly that she was crushing his ribs.

He allowed her to crush him. After all, they hadn't seen each other in over a year, and she had only heard from him three times. Unfortunately he couldn't contact her much because the army was very cautious on keeping their locations secret. They didn't want to risk having letters intercepted by the enemy. Finally she let go of her son and dragged him into the house. She slammed the door behind them and looked completely awestruck at her transformed son.

"Look at you!" Delia cried. "Your hair is gone and you got all this muscle now. You look… so grown up."

Ash began to tear up because of how proud his mother sounded.

"Mom, I missed you so much." This time he hugged her. He was hugging and crying a lot these last few days.

The two sat at the kitchen table and caught each other up on their lives. Nothing much was new with his mother besides the fact that the Hoenn soldiers now had her taking care of not just them, but their injured Pokemon as well. Ash then told the story of his partner, Pikachu, and the struggle he had to get Pikachu to like him and obey him. It took the mother and son a while to realize the sun had gone down. Ash's stomach rattled with the emptiness of food and his mother immediately jumped to her feet and began preparing as much of a feast as she could.

"So how was the funeral?" Delia was afraid to ask, but she finally summoned the courage as she took a bite of pasta.

"Aren't they all the same?" Ash asked, pushing the food around on his plate with a fork. "Horrible… depressing…"

Delia swallowed before saying carefully, "You realize this is only the first of many losses you'll have to go through now that you're a part of the war?"

"I've always been a part of the war, mom. Everyone is. It's just now I'm fighting in it."

"I just don't want you to get hurt… physically or mentally."

Ash sighed, a bit irritated. "I know, I know. You only want what's best for me."

"I'm not saying that being in the army isn't what's best for you, I'm just saying don't lose yourself out there, okay?"

The loud clang of Ash's fork hitting his glass plate startled Delia.

"I said I know! But of course you wouldn't understand! You just want what's best for me and blah blah blah! But maybe doing this and being out there _is_ what's best for me, ever think of that? How hard is it to ask for a little god damn support? Because not only am I fighting for this stupid country, I'm fighting for you! I don't want you to have to live in this town, in fear everyday, where strange men take advantage of you. I can't stand the thought of it, okay?"

Delia took a moment before answering so Ash could collect his breath and calm down a bit. "The only reason I have to live in fear is that I fear of losing my only child. I fear of losing my best friend."

Ash leaned across the table to embrace his mother once again. The two cried as he reassured her that she would never lose him.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this is such a short and crappy chapter. Maybe I'll go back some day and try and make it better, but I doubt it. I'm lazy.


	6. Time

A/N: Hello there! What's this? An author's note at the beginning? Well yeah, this time I decided to put it first thing because I felt like if I put it at the end it detracted from the dramatic tone of the final scene, and I also really wanted the last line to resonate with the reader. Don't skip ahead now and go read it because that'll detract from it as well.

You may have noticed that I changed the title from "32K" to "Soldier". Anybody who has a problem with the new title should've participated in the poll. All the chapters have titles now as well.

On with the story!

* * *

"Pathetic" Ash heard Gary mutter. Ash had just woken up from another nightmare that reflected another horrid memory from his past. Ash never had dreams, he only had nightmares. Each and every one of them made him relive an event that the war scarred him with. He shook his head as he tried to eliminate the image of a group of Hoenn soldiers and their Pokemon brutally harassing some local livestock almost to the point of death.

The two of them were standing guard on the town line. Ash had managed to fall asleep standing up, but the balmy night air and harmonious cricketing of bugs and cooing of bird Pokemon made it easy to slip into slumber. They stood in a clear area with woods and darkness surrounding them. Up above the treetops the lofty and enormous cycling bridge pierced the night sky with its steel supports. The gentle purr of cars and city life could be heard in the distance behind them.

Pikachu stood alert at Ash's side because he knew his partner had been feeling drowsy since that morning. Gary's Wartortle was withdrawing into its shell over and over. Ash saw it slump in disappointment when Gary didn't notice its obvious attempt at impressing its partner.

Gary spat in disgust. "Falling asleep on the job, Ashy boy? And you call yourself a soldier."

Ash was too tired to come up with a witty reply. He just rolled his eyes and could not believe he and Gary got stuck together for duty the second time that week. The men in charge of the schedule knew Ash and Gary could barely stand to be in the same room, yet they found it appropriate to put them together time and again.

"I haven't been sleeping that well lately," Ash admitted. He was so tired he couldn't stop himself before he realized he was just about to initiate a conversation with Gary.

Gary fixed his grip on his long barreled gun. Ash was armed as well. "What are you? A girl? Suck it up. Once we hit the battlefields the likelihood of us getting any sleep is slim to none."

"You think we'll see action some day?" Ash asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

"That's what we signed up for isn't it? Kanto needs every man they can get their hands on. But for some reason they have our unit stationed here. Probably to protect the base and they might not quite trust us yet to just go out and fight. Our troop doesn't have much experience."

"Well you got to admit that's kind of a good thing. Like at least Kanto has our back. In Hoenn they don't fucking care as long as you're holding a gun and shooting something." A bitter taste resided on Ash's tongue as he spoke about Hoenn soldiers and their knack for shooting things. He was still mourning over the loss of his dear friend Richie.

"They don't want you to miss either." The two shared a soft chuckle.

Standing guard was always an extremely tedious task each soldier was assigned to do. Ash didn't purposely use this time to catch up on his sleep, but it's not as if he needed to be awake anyway. Nothing ever happened. The most eventful thing to happen to Ash while he was on duty was this one time when Gary kicked his shin for no reason.

Tonight would change all of that. Ash first smelled it in the air. Smoke. The incredibly distinguishable odor came along on a gentle breeze and then hung in the air. This wasn't just any normal smoke—it was strong and musty. It made Ash cough when he took in a larger breath than he should have. He then looked up at the sky. The navy blue dome with speckles of gleaming white was being overtaken by plumes of thick, black smoke. Gary too noticed seconds later.

Ash's mind first flashed back to the raid he witnessed in his hometown when he was just a child. He then recalled the invasion of Cerulean City and when he and Misty noticed the same smoke overwhelming the sky. Each time it was a sign that Hoenn was about to invade. They had to assume the worst so they both sent their Pokemon to deliver a message to their general warning him of the possible invasion. They asked him to send back up as well.

After journeying through the small amount of wooded area between the bridge and where they had been standing guard, Ash and Gary arrived at the south end of Cycling Road.

"There." Gary pointed to an unfamiliar ship tearing across the sea.

It didn't look that intimidating, but Ash tightened his grip on his gun anyway. Minutes later the rest of their troop emerged from the woods, along with Pikachu and Wartortle. Almost all of them had their Pokemon with them so Ash felt a bit more secure and comfortable now that they had some backup.

Ash had no idea how long it took for the foreign ship to reach the shore. His thoughts and heart were racing. He lost track of time for all he could do was think the worst possible scenarios. It could've taken the ship an hour to get there but it felt like ten to him. A few moments passed where nothing happened. The ship sat still and silent on the shore. The troop stood in three straight rows with their guns and Pokemon ready. They looked down on the ship from a rather cliffy area where the bridge began, so whoever was on that ship would have to climb up to them. Or perhaps they'd just start hurtling bombs at them from down below.

Ash began to shake when some slight banging could be heard coming from the boat. His throat dried up as a walkway lowered from the ship and onto the ground. His palms and forehead began to sweat as he spotted two men making their way down. He looked over at Gary, whose face was turning a pale green, when the two men were getting closer.

They were just feet away. The men prepared themselves as much as they could. They tightened their grips on their guns. They planted their feet into the earth. Ash even heard a man fling some of his spit on the ground.

"Let me do the talking," Gary said through his teeth to the others.

The men stopped. They looked pretty normal. One was tall and muscular and the other was average height and scrawny. Their clothes weren't anything outrageous. Just garments two men of the sea would sport; perhaps merchants. But their boat seemed rather slender and innovative to be a big, old supply ship.

Gary stepped forward. "State your purpose."

The tall one spoke. His voice was very low and smooth, making him sound older than he appeared. "We're the captains of a supply ship. We were sent to Fuchsia to drop off some artillery for the base."

"Who sent you?" Gary asked, raising the hostility and coldness in his tone.

"Yamo Coastal Trading Services," the tall one answered.

Ash chimed in. "Why would Yamo ship artillery? I thought they specialized in the trading of minerals and elements?"

"Yamo recently started investing in weaponry. They knew it would be good business with the war going on and everything." That time the smaller one talked.

"You never mentioned where you came from," Gary pointed out.

"Just a short trip from Celadon. Following Cycling Road, you see." The two men glanced at each other and smirked for a fraction of a second.

Ash and Gary then flashed each other looks of doubt. Ash then said, "I don't recall Fuchsia or the base expecting any shipments tonight."

"And this late of an hour is rather strange to be exchanging goods, don't you think?" Gary raised a brow at the "merchants".

"We just ran into technical difficulties with our ship before embarking yesterday morning, so our trip was unfortunately delayed."

Gary paused a moment, still grimacing at the seemingly untrustworthy foreigners. "Ash, a moment please?"

The request surprised Ash to say the least. He and Gary stepped to the side and stood close as they discussed what they should do about these sketchy men.

"We can't trust 'em," Ash whispered first.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Well, no shit. I say we get the general out here so he can talk to them. Maybe he can scare them off without starting something. I just don't want to piss these guys off so once we turn our backs they start throwing some bombs or something."

Ash glared at Gary. "Oh, so that's what you've been doing? Because interrogating them and shooting them death glares won't piss them off." Ash's sarcasm made Gary wanted to knee him in the groin, but now was not the time for one of their little spats.

Ash and Gary returned to the group of men. "I think my troop would feel more secure if we had our general come down here and discuss the matter at hand," said Gary.

The two men looked at each other. "That won't be necessary. It's obvious you're not ready for the shipment."

As the men turned and started heading back to their ship, the troop quietly celebrated their evasion of a possible confrontation or battle, but Ash didn't join in on the merriment. He was busy replaying that man's final words over and over in his head. They didn't sound right. "It's obvious you're not ready…." Ash felt a twisting pang in his stomach as the small frigate set across the sea.

Gary punched Ash in shoulder in a celebratory manner. "See? We can handle this stuff on our own. That was easy."

"Yeah, a little too easy…" Ash muttered.

The boat was almost out of sight when a loud horn blared. The troop's revelry was interrupted by the thunderous and booming siren which shook the earth beneath them. The group of young men immediately stopped carousing and watched the boat disappear on the dark horizon.

"That can't be good," said one of the soldiers dryly.

"GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" Ash screamed.

All the soldiers hit the ground as a blinking red projectile flew towards them at inconceivable speed. The bomb hit one of the cliffs below them and exploded on contact. The earth quaked and the trees trembled, disturbing all the slumbering Pokemon. Many bird Pokemon were seen overhead fleeing from the nests they were sleeping soundly in just seconds earlier. The sound of the explosion was booming—almost deafening. Pikachu whimpered as it clenched its long ears which ached.

Ash found himself immediately take a leadership role. "Gary, I want you and all the others with water type Pokemon to go down to shore and see if they can swim out and somehow stop that frigate." He pointed to three other soldiers. "I want you three to stay here in case something happens. Everyone else come with me. We're going to warn the city and tell the general."

They all stood around looking at each other in slight disbelief of Ash's sudden leadership, but more in anxiety and fear of the battle that would most likely ensue.

"Go!" he yelled.

In one swift movement each of the soldiers hopped to their feet and darted through the forest to tend to the duty Ash had assigned them. The teen took a second to look back at their attacker, and his jaw dropped. There was no longer just a small frigate disappearing on the horizon, there was an entire fleet of battleships heading towards them.

* * *

While the frigate took ages to hit the shore just hours earlier, everything else happened so fast. General Oak, a man with graying hair slicked up and a build similar to Ash's but of course weathered by age, was notified by Ash and his fellow troop members of the bombing and the oncoming fleet. The general immediately called some other troops stationed around the area to come in for backup. He then pointed to several other soldiers, giving them orders such as to unlock the artillery room, ready the tanks, direct citizens out of the city, notify the police and fire departments, open up the town bomb shelter, and watch for when the backup troops arrive. When he dismissed them Ash was the only one left standing in the area.

They were in the center of town. Houses with picket fences surrounded them with taller buildings and skyscrapers just beyond them. Fuchsia City was always an interesting mix of urban and rural. The city even had a prized zoo, which was now evacuating all the rare and trained Pokemon it housed. The town warning system could be heard echoing in the night sky, waking up all the citizens since it was well past midnight.

The sirens didn't help Ash's already twisting stomach. He watched his renowned general stare at the ground and rub the slight stubble on his chin. Oak was the most sensible and wise man Ash had ever met. Over the last year of being under his command and stationed in Fuchsia he had grown to be mentor-type figure for the upcoming soldier. So when Ash saw his always calm, cool, and collected general look as worried as he did, that didn't help the sickening feeling in his stomach either.

"It was only a matter of time…" He finally heard Oak murmur.

Ash was afraid to speak.

"We should've been prepared. Almost every other city in Kanto has been invaded. It was only a matter of time…"

Ash tried comforting the elderly man. "It was a surprise to everyone, sir."

Oak raised his chin high in the air at the sound of another bomb exploding. "How do you think they're doing?"

"There were a lot of ships, sir."

The two men turned and looked for the frantic voice that was screaming.

"They're here! They're here!"

It was one of Ash's fellow soldiers. The other troops from around the area arrived. Oak took Ash to go greet them at the east entrance to the city. That was another thing that happened fast. They got there in what seemed seconds. Oak looked relieved when he saw at least three hundred soldiers piling into the streets and that number was steadily increasing.

It was like a relentless river of people. The tide was taking Ash with it and he was practically getting trampled by the flow of troops. Ash felt a tug on his collar and was suddenly hoisted off his feet. Oak had pulled him out of the rapid movement and onto a bench that was bolted into the sidewalk.

"Thank you, sir."

Oak seemed to be looking for someone as he replied, "Can't be losing you this early on, Mr. Ketchum."

The highly ranked officer beamed once he spotted the person he had been searching for. A huge, tan, muscular man stuck out of the crowd and Ash immediately recognized him as Lieutenant Surge, the man that had trained Ash and his troop in boot camp. When Surge arrived at their side, after easily making it through the compact gathering, he didn't even have to hop on the bench to avoid being shoved or knocked down. He was too gargantuan to even budge the slightest and he had this distinguishable presence that everyone knew he was a man of authority.

"Don't worry, more are on the way." Was the first thing Surge said to the general.

Oak shook his hand, which was five times smaller than Surge's. "It's wonderful to see you again, Surge, although I wish the reason for our reuniting wasn't under these circumstances."

"We'll whoop some major ass, sir. Don't you worry."

Ash got wrapped up in his own thoughts of how different Lieutenant Surge was compared to General Oak to notice that Surge had gotten all the soldiers attention by shouting thunderously, and then handed their attention over to Oak, who was now giving instruction and an inspirational speech. As Oak said words such as bravery, strength, loyalty, liberty, and skill, Ash hoped he had all of those qualities in order to perform his duty as a soldier.

"We must protect our city, our people, and our country," Oak declared. All the men threw their fists in the air and cheered.

"Our people…" echoed in Ash's head. The image of a beautiful redhead flashed in his mind. Misty. A sudden panic came over him. He looked around frantically, searching for an opening in the large assembly of soldiers. He had to go find her. He had to make sure she was safe. He knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else until he knew Misty was all right.

He heard Oak's voice call after him as he made his way through the crowd. But once again everything was happening so fast. He didn't think to stop. He didn't think of how disregarding Oak's call could get him in trouble later on. He could only think to find the redheaded girl.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him just as he was about to escape from the mass of people. Ash planned to wiggle free of the mysterious person's grip and continue on his mission until that same hand pulled him into a fierce hug.

"You son-of-a-bitch," the person chuckled.

It was Brock. Once Ash recognized his voice he squeezed his dear friend tightly. They hadn't seen or heard from each other in over a year. When they finally parted from their embrace, Ash couldn't even think of what to say. His face read pure shock and happiness. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Not only was it Brock but it was Brock in a military uniform.

"What are you doing here, you crazy bastard?" Ash asked. He couldn't help but laugh and let some tears of joy roll down his cheeks.

Brock gestured to his uniform. "Isn't it obvious? I joined the army."

Ash gave him a doubtful look. "You're kidding me."

Brock smiled. "Yeah, I'm kidding. I actually got drafted not too long after you enlisted."

Ash punched him on the shoulder. "That would explain why you never answered my letters."

"Yep. I would've written to you but I had no idea where you were."

He placed a hand on the tan man's shoulder. "Well, we're both here now about to have the fight of our lives. It's destiny, man."

"And where do you think you're going?" Brock asked, referring to the fact that moments earlier Ash had been making his way out of the crowd.

"I have to find Misty."

"The redhead chick? Dude, you're still in it with her? Damn." Brock shook his head, slightly impressed.

"I haven't talked to her in a while but I know she's in the city and I have to make sure she's okay." Ash started stepping away from his best friend.

He shrugged. "All right, man. You go do what you gotta do."

* * *

Ash didn't realize how impossible it was going to be to find Misty. Everywhere he went there were people being evacuated and long lines, huge gatherings, and shoving and pushing. People were running around hysterically, women and children were already crying even though Hoenn hadn't even landed on shore yet. Every once in a while Ash could hear soldiers discussing the battle that was occurring out at sea and on the shore.

He'd hear good things like one of Kanto's ships sunk one of theirs, but then he'd overhear horrible things like one of Kanto's ships erupted into flames. He just hoped everyone he knew was okay and fighting with all their might. He then thought of Gary, who was one of the first men sent out to go fight at sea. Regardless of their mutual hate for one another, Ash hoped his rival was still alive.

Before he knew it he was standing in front of Misty's apartment. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. No answer. He then feared the possibility of her fiancé answering the door. Whatever, he was in uniform. He could just claim he was sent to help them evacuate. After the third session of knocking and no answer, he suspected they had already left. But for some reason that wasn't good enough for him. What if by the time the Hoes made it to the city, Misty hadn't escaped yet and she got killed? Ash would never be able to forgive himself.

Ash kicked the door open. He searched the house, calling her name. Still no answer. Next he checked the bomb shelter, the main evacuation route, and the Pokemon Center. No luck. He just hoped she made it out safely because he got suddenly roped into the next counter attack.

Ash was still amazed with how fast time and everything was moving. He was looking for Misty one second and the next he was at the west entrance to the city, where the road turned into the bridge. There were hundreds of Kanto soldiers and hundreds of Pokemon launching bombs and attacks from the shore. Dozens of tanks were lined up. Battleships were being launched as well. So much was going on. Pikachu was at his side. Pretty soon they were being assaulted from the air. Pretty soon the fleet of Hoenn ships landed. Pretty soon this all turned into a battle on land. Pretty soon Kanto had them retreating. Pretty soon they thought they had won it all.

Many men and Pokemon were scattered all over the place, all of them lifeless and still. Blood stained the earth and smoke still occupied the sky. The battle had gone well into morning, but there was no way of telling when one looked up.

Even though there were many causalities and loses, Ash had never heard such a joyous and relieved celebration. Strangers hugged strangers and every soldier shouted in victory. High fives were given to all of those around you and every Pokemon in the area got a well deserved scratch, pat, or rub.

"We've done it, men! We've done it!" Ash whirled around to see Oak standing on a fallen tree. He had never seen someone so proud.

While the celebration continued, as did Ash getting hugged and tapped by numerous strange men, the young soldier was preoccupied watching the Hoenn ships either sink, burn, or retreat. He tried to feel happy, but there was a strange sensation in his stomach that thwarted his revelry. He couldn't quite believe that after a couple of hours the Hoes had already given up. That just didn't seem quite like them.

Then he saw it. He waited for someone else to notice, but they were all too busy chanting "Kanto number one". The voices faded and all Ash could hear was the rumbling. The bridge began to tremble under the ferocious turning of thick tires. Slowly the chanting stopped as one by one, almost like a domino effect, the soldiers within the area realized the fight wasn't over. About fifty large tanks were heading toward them, crossing the Cycling Road bridge. Each made of dark metal with spikes and intimidating mechanisms pointing every which way. There were a couple different types of tanks, each one designed to most likely utilize different weapons and launch them in different ways.

Ash looked back at his general. Oak looked solemn, almost blank, but there was just enough tenseness in his face to show the graveness of the situation was settling in. Ash was surprised it took so long for Oak, Surge, Gary, or any other soldier for that matter to take action. They all stood around and he sensed an air of hopelessness.

Ash ran up to his general. "Sir, what do you suggest we do?"

The grey haired man took in a large breath before answering, "We stand and fight."

Gary approached them. "We did it before we can do it again, sir."

"May I suggest something different?" Ash's voice squeaked. His nerves kicked as he took a leap giving his military official advice. "We blow up the bridge."

Gary raised a brow at him. "What."

"Think of all the lives we could save and all the fighting we could avoid," said Ash.

Oak rubbed his chin. "It's a valid strategy… but that bridge is a beloved monument not only to the city but the entire country. It's important for transportation and tourism as well."

Ash stomped his foot on the ground. "And they're taking advantage of it! They think we won't sacrifice some dumb monument and they're right, but they don't have to be right, sir."

Oak stared long and hard into Ash's eyes, contemplating perhaps the biggest decision of his military career. There would be many people mad at him for destroying a monument that has been there for centuries, but it was the right choice. That long gaze was a search for trust. Oak already trusted and respected Ash, but he had to be sure he could trust him with this decision more than anything.

The firing of missiles brought Oak back to the reality of the situation. He had to finalize his decision. Time was moving too fast. Time was running out.

"Blow it up," he said somberly.

The troops piled up dynamite toward the south end of the bridge, while water type Pokemon swam out and planted some further out. Some bird Pokemon also flew their partners further out so they could plant some stashes of explosives as well. After a couple of minutes everything was set. They just had to wait for all of the tanks to reach a certain point so they'd know they get them all in the blast.

Oak told everyone to run back to the city and take the tanks and their Pokemon with them so it would look like they were retreating to the Hoes. Really he just wanted them out of range so they wouldn't get hurt. Ash, Brock, Gary, and Surge stuck by the elderly man's side as he pushed the button on his little remote. Immediately the structure was engulfed in flames. The explosion nearly knocked them all off their feet and Ash even saw a few tanks be flung through the air.

As flames continued to swallow the bridge the group of army men stood there and watched it crumble. Ash knew the burning structure represented victory, but he knew it was a significant loss for them all as well. That bridge meant something to them all. But in the end, victory means something so much more.

* * *

Ash knocked gently on the large, wooden door that stood before him.

"Come in," a voice said.

He turned the knob with care and stepped into the room. There was his general, Samuel Oak, behind his desk and packing some things off a book shelf into one of the many cardboard boxes scattered around his office. About a fourth of his belongings were collected in these boxes, so the room looked a tad more spacious than the last time Ash had visited. Maps of the world and the country that were once hanging on the walls were rolled up and in a pile on his couch. Despite the general's obvious consolidation his desk was still littered with papers and even more papers were spilling out of the file cabinet in the back right corner.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" It was a fact, but Ash stated it more as a question.

Oak looked up from the plaque he was placing into the box sitting on his desk. "Oh Mr. Ketchum, there you are. Good to see you. How you been?"

"I'm doing all right. How are you, sir?" he asked politely.

"I'm all right myself. I see you have a few scrapes and bruises."

Ash touched the scratch on his cheek and looked down at his battered up arms, all of which he received from the invasion that happened three days earlier.

"Are you going somewhere, sir?"

Oak stopped packing as he explained, "That's actually why I asked to see you, Ash. I have some incredible news. You may interpret it as good news or you may interpret it as bad news." Ash nodded. "I've been promoted."

Ash said with enthusiasm, "That's great, sir! Why would that be bad news?"

"Because I've been asked to lead the rebel movement going on in Cerulean City. All the troops under my command will follow me there. I know we've been stationed in Fuchsia for a whole year and you've probably made a life here, so moving might not be easy."

Ash immediately thought of the prospect of Misty being back in Cerulean. "I won't mind it."

Oak slid the box over on his desk and took a seat, gesturing his arm out offering Ash to take a seat as well. "Good to hear. And the reason I asked you here today is because I want you to be my right hand man."

Ash's eyes practically popped out of his head. "Seriously?"

"Your help and efforts during the invasion impressed me immensely. You've always been a talented soldier, Ash. It's time your talents got recognized."

"Gary's gonna be so pissed," Ash muttered, a slight smirk appearing on his face.

"My grandson isn't as levelheaded as you are."

Ash laughed softly. "All my life I don't think anyone has ever described me as 'levelheaded'."

"The army can change you more than you think." Oak leaned forward on his desk. "So tell me Ash, is this really what you want to be doing?"

"More than anything, sir. I want to win this war for my mother."

"That's awfully ambitious, but ambitious is good. I'll need that too when we move to Cerulean." Oak got up and started packing more things in the box on his desk.

"When do we leave?" Ash asked.

"In a week. There's word that Hoenn plans on taking the lighthouse and once they do, that means they'll have full control of Cerulean City. The lighthouse is incredibly beneficial because it can be used to watch for invaders. The lighthouse is also an extremely important monument to those who still live in Cerulean City, so we can sympathize with that, don't you think?" Ash bowed his head. "I didn't say that to make you feel bad. Did I not tell you that decision of yours won us that battle? You saved lives, Ash."

"Not enough though. We still lost thirty-two of our men and forty-four Pokemon. How do you do it, sir? How do you deal with all the death? I mean you were the boss of these guys for a whole year. They were my friends. We did duty together. I knew half of them since my first day at boot camp and now they're gone," Ash said miserably.

Oak sighed. "You know, there's honestly no trick to it. It doesn't get any easier. If anything it gets harder."

Ash sighed too.

"I've been in the army for thirty-six years and if there's one thing I've learned it's that life is short and precious. And unfortunately you either live in this country or die for it, and living in it isn't exactly the safest thing either. So this is only the beginning of many tragedies you'll have to experience."

Ash looked even more downcast, thinking of the conversation he had with his mother after Richie died. "My mother said the same thing."

Oak walked over and slapped Ash on the back, plastering on a toothy grin. "Try not to get too down. You just got promoted, remember? Be happy! Go celebrate with your friends."

Ash smiled up at his general. "Thank you, sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity."

Ash hopped to his feet and gave Oak a firm handshake. They said good-bye for the night and Ash headed home where he planned on getting a good night's sleep. But "planned" was the key word.

* * *

Before going up to his room Ash was stopped in the hall by one of his fellow troop members.

"Hey Ash, some girl came by earlier and wanted me to give you this."

Ash instantly perked up a little and snatched the white envelope from his hands.

"Did she say anything else?" Ash couldn't take his eyes off the scripted writing that read his name on the front.

He shrugged. "That was it. She just told me to give it to you as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Tracey."

Ash ran up the three flights of stairs it took to get to his floor. He darted down the hall, running so fast it was nearly impossible for him to open the thoroughly sealed envelope. He stopped in front of his door and tore the paper impatiently. He flipped over the rectangular piece of cardstock that was about twice the size of a normal index card. It was covered in fancy letters but Ash was so filled with adrenaline that his eyes couldn't concentrate on absorbing the words. He took a deep breath and finally managed to read it.

The card fell to the ground. Ash's face turned pale as his bottom lip began to tremble. His arms fell to his sides and shoulders slouched significantly. As tears began to collect in the corners of his eyes he began to sway back and forth, finding that he was losing the strength to remain standing. Ash turned and fell back against his door before sliding down to the floor. He brought his knees close to his chest and bit his bottom lip, hoping that it would help prevent the tears from falling down his cheeks.

"She's still going through with it."


	7. The End

Proud family members and cheerful friends sat hip to hip on the countless pews that faced the altar. The church was completely filled with content witnesses of the holy matrimony that was about to take place. The elegant music began to play and the flower girl accidentally tripped on her dress as she made her way down the aisle. The crowd giggled. The little girl regained her composure and began to sprinkle flowers once again. Next was the best man with the three bridesmaids. Then, everyone in the church stood and watched as she slowly strutted down the aisle.

She could see everyone's eyes glistening in awe at the sight of her. They all looked so happy. She envied their feelings of euphoria. Currently she felt the need to turn back and seek out the closest toilet or trash can so she could vomit in it. However, some magnetic force kept her from doing so. She continued walking straight, concentrating on keeping that weary smile plastered on her face. As she got closer to her future husband, breathing became more difficult. She felt her dress constrict tighter around her waist and her mouth became uncomfortably dry. For some reason she couldn't hear the elegant music playing in the background or the whispered comments on how beautiful she looked. She could only hear the click clacking of her heels against the long carpet. He winked at her. She felt her heart flutter and her cheeks rosy. Perhaps she did still love him after all.

Finally, after what seemed like days, the bride reached the altar. She handed one of her bridesmaids her bouquet and then turned to her fiancé.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he told her.

She didn't feel absolutely beautiful. The insurmountable amount of guilt that was tearing at her almost had her reduced to tears. The music stopped playing and the crowd became quiet. Now the only noise to distract the bride from her own guilt-ridden thoughts was the opening, good-natured jokes the priest was making about the unfortunate circumstances of the ceremony. Because Celadon had been invaded by Hoenn soldiers months earlier, and the city was still under their control, the wedding had to be held in a church in the next town over. Although happy, everyone looked tired from travel. But as mentioned to the couple-to-be numerous times by many of their guests, the trip would be well worth it.

Well worth it indeed. After years of being engaged and holding off the wedding because of the war, Misty and her fiancé were finally getting married. As the priest joked about before, the timing of the event might seem a bit inappropriate or inconvenient. However, Misty's defense was that the war probably wasn't going to end any time soon, so might as well have the wedding now, especially before the rebel movement launches. Her fiancé had a bit more of a touching explanation, saying the two of them joining would bring a shining moment of joy to a year riddled with tragedy.

"Although the world has been torn apart by war and people continue to find their differences with each other, there are still couples like the one we have before us, who bring hope to the world's deteriorating social state," stated the Priest. "Is it really so hard for everyone to get along? Love conquers hate, and we know that because this bride and groom went to such great lengths to ensure this ceremony would happen. Even though we are not gathered in our ideal location today, it does not matter where you are but what you make of it. Today we are making history. It may not seem like it, but we are. This ceremony represents what the world currently does not have. Love. And what is love? Trust… respect… loyalty."

Those three words echoed in Misty's head. Especially the last one. Loyalty. Loyalty. Loyalty. Her brain began to ache because it was echoing so loudly. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the influx of love-related words would stop torturing her. Of course they did not. The Priest continued on with his annoyingly preachy speech on how important stupid loyalty was. Maybe Misty hadn't been loyal, but at least she was there. She was ready to marry this man. However, the longer she kept her eyes closed the more she started convincing herself that she did not want to marry this man. She snapped them open immediately. What crazy thoughts they were. He was going to love her forever. He was going to provide for her. He was going to do whatever it took to make her happy. And she was just going to throw that all away?

Misty finally came back to reality when she heard the priest declare, "If anyone has a reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Misty looked out to the crowd for an answer. If he was there maybe he'd have the courage to speak up. He was her only chance to escape from this. 'But why do I want to escape?' she repeated in her head. Her fiancé was a perfect gentleman. A man with goals and priorities. A man who was always there for her. A mature man. A man who never mixed business and pleasure. A man who barely knew pleasure at all. A man whose only pleasure was her. He did everything for her. She was his world. So why was it so hard for her to love him?

Where was he? She imagined this moment countless times. Ash would stand up and object. He'd profess his love for her in front of all those people. She would run into his arms and he'd carry her off where they could live happily ever after. But of course reality has a harsh way of crushing our dreams. When is there ever a happily ever after?

Sweat began to collect on her forehead and her heart began to pound. The longer it took for someone to object the more Misty began to realize no one was going to be coming to her rescue.

The Priest smiled. "Okay, now for the vows. I understand—"

"I can't do this." The words spilled out of her mouth.

No one said anything. The Priest looked utterly shocked. The groom appeared confused.

"I'm sorry, but I can't marry you."

The crowd gasped almost perfectly in unison. Someone shouted crazy bitch from the back.

What she said hadn't quite set in for him. "What?"

She repeated herself. "I can't marry you."

The look on her fiancé's face was a level of shock and hurt she didn't even know existed.

"Misty, darling, are you sure?" he asked.

"I haven't been loyal to you." She bowed her head, embarrassed. She knew she had just ripped this man's heart out and stomped on it.

He looked from the priest, to his family, then back at her. "We all make our fair share of mistakes."

"It wasn't just one mistake. It was multiple mistakes."

He took her hands and clutched them tightly. "Well, I love you and nothing can ever change that. I forgive you and will wholeheartedly, without any hesitation, still marry you."

"You're a great man. But I'm afraid… I can't do this. I just…" Misty looked him in the eyes, "can't."

Realization took over. His shoulders slumped, he released her hands from his, and he took a few steps back. There was no convincing her. It was over.

Within the next hour her sisters tried to comfort her but failed, her ex-fiancé's mother slapped her across the face, and the church emptied out. Once everyone was gone her ex-fiancé confronted her.

"Can I just ask you a couple of questions?"

She was sitting on the steps to the altar, trying not to cry, and he sat down beside her.

Misty was slow to reply and her voice was quiet and hoarse. "Sure," she said.

He took in a deep breath to gain some composure. "Was it multiple men or just one?"

She fiddled with the lace on her dress, avoiding eye contact out of shame. "Just one."

"Do I know him?"

"No."

"Well… could I meet him?"

Misty huffed, "Why? So you can beat him up?"

"No." He looked downcast. "I just want to know what this guy has that I don't."

"It's not about what he has and what you don't," Misty snapped.

"Do you love him?" he asked immediately.

Misty was taken aback by the abruptness of his question. She neglected to answer.

He patted her on the back and flashed an understanding smile. "Well, what's stopping you from being with him?"

Again, she didn't answer.

He smacked his hands on his knees and brought himself to his feet. "I can see you have some thinking to do." He began to walk away but stopped in his tracks. Without turning back around he asked his final question. "Will I ever see you again?"

Misty got up, approached him from behind, and pecked him on the cheek. "Of course."

He disappeared, leaving her alone at the altar.

And there she still was, in a heap on the floor, crying and wallowing in self pity. She couldn't stop herself. She didn't care anymore. She let the tears soak into her expensive dress that surrounded her like a nest made of bunting and lace. She was hoping it had all been a dream. That she really didn't just destroy her relationship or her future. She could've been happy and had a stable marriage. 'What have I done?' she thought to herself.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the hall caught her attention. Misty quickly made sure her face was clean of all tears and snotty liquids. She wondered who it could be. Perhaps her ex-fiancé had returned to seek revenge. The redhead thought about fleeing from the room but that would be impossible in her long, puffy dress. She had no choice but to sit there and shake in anticipation until whomever it was turned the corner. A man stepped through the doors at the end of the aisle, and Misty instantly lit up.

"Did I miss it?" he asked

Misty giggled. "Yeah, you're a little late."

It was Ash. Misty tried her to best to hide her true joy and excitement. She wasn't sure why but she thought once Ash arrived all of her pain and problems would just go away. He was walking towards her, tall and lean with a good amount of muscle on him. He was wearing his formal military uniform. His hair was still short, which made him look older and more mature. Misty flushed at the sight of him.

"Why aren't you with your husband? Shouldn't you be celebrating?" he asked, almost done making his way towards her.

Misty sunk back into the confines of her wedding dress. "There's nothing to celebrate."

"What do you mean?" Ash sat down next to her.

Misty began to cry again. He scooted closer and hesitated to put his hand on her back, but when he saw her body begin to quake he thought a gentle rub might help calm her down.

Ash whispered, "It's okay. Just tell me what happened."

Misty whimpered, "You."

"Huh?" Ash wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.

"You happened," she repeated.

He took his hand off her back. "Uhhhh… I'm lost. Can you just tell me what happened at the wedding?"

Misty held her head in her hands. "I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't marry the guy after I had been sneaking around with you for the last couple of months."

Ash felt a rush of disappointment. "Oh… so you just felt guilty?" Still, he was elated she didn't go through with it.

"I feel dirty and ashamed." Misty buried her face in her hands.

"At least you were honest." He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you have to let me sleep with you?" Misty asked.

"In my defense, I didn't know you were engaged the first time we slept together."

She glared at him. "All those other times you were fully aware, yet you did it anyway. You're a pig!"

Ash pulled away, startled and confused. "Why are you mad?"

Misty screamed inches from his face, "Because you ruined my life, Ash Ketchum! I was perfectly happy until you came along and you just had to ruin everything!"

"You must've not been very happy if you were so quick to jump into bed with me!" Ash screamed back.

"I was drunk every time! I wasn't thinking straight!" Misty shouted.

Ash grinned and pointed at her. "That's a lie. That is a lie. We were only drunk twice. All the other times-"

"Shut your stupid, little mouth!"

"I don't see how it's my fault that you're the one who prevented your own marriage from happening! Last time I checked I just got here. I wasn't the one to stop you from getting married. That was all you!"

Misty gasped. "How dare you blame this all on me! What kind of man sleeps with a married woman anyway?"

Ash sprung to his feet from all the rage building up inside him. "Uh, you were engaged! Not married! There's a big difference."

Misty hopped to her feet as well. "I was in a relationship with another man and you took advantage of me."

"You _let me_ take advantage of you!" Ash held his head in frustration. "I don't remember one time where you tried stopping me."

"You're a home wrecker," Misty seethed. "You're a disgusting pig and I hate you."

"You don't hate me. You love me and that's why you're so upset right now," Ash snickered smugly. "You don't want to be in love with me but you are. You hate that you love me because I'm so young and immature and short tempered, but I'm just like you, baby."

Tears began to roll down Misty's cheeks again. "Shut up! I am nothing like you! I will never love you!"

Ash crossed his arms. "You can deny it all you want but you know it's true."

Misty slapped him hard across the face. "Get out of here. I never want to see you again."

Ash began walking back down the aisle and laughed, "Oh, you do… and you will."

Misty plopped back down on the ground, crying uncontrollably once again. She just let all of her emotions pour out. Once again she didn't care because she was all alone. Or at least she thought. She spotted Ash enter the room again. She was about to jump to her feet and scream at him, but something stopped her.

"I got you something," he said quietly. "It's your wedding present."

He leaned it against the pew closest to him before turning around and leaving for good. Misty's tears immediately stopped. She stood up and took a couple steps closer to make sure it was what she thought it was. It was a brand new, shining red bike with a white bow tied around the handle bars.

* * *

Oak and his troops, with Ash as his second in command, had been in Cerulean for over a month now. A lot happened in that month. They met the small yet feisty group of rebels that have been hiding out in Cerulean. Since, the army and the rebels have been trying to devise a plan to take back the city. It is currently under the control of the Hoes, so almost every day Kanto soldiers have been helping Cerulean citizens who need medical attention evacuate and those who are still there stay comfortable. It's a dangerous task since Hoenn soldier obviously do not want Kanto soldiers in the city.

Today they had another meeting with the rebels to discuss further plans for a surprise attack on the Hoes. Ash sat among the dozens of other soldiers and rebels as Oak stood to deliver his speech. Ash suspected today would be like all the others, they would discuss launching an attack on the Hoes, but this plan would never be finalized or put into action. He was getting sick of it. He was getting sick of all this talking and wanted to start fighting. He wanted to rid this town of all the Hoes and make it safe for all its citizens. Of course, that was primarily because of Misty.

He hadn't seen her since their catastrophic fight. Then again, why would he have? She told him she never wanted to see him ever again. That was almost three weeks ago.

Much to Ash's surprise, Oak's speech today was different. Rather than talking about all the battles they should start with Hoenn, he discussed other ways to help the town. While he and the rebel leaders search for a strategy, the troops need to contribute positively to the community somehow. Although Ash couldn't argue that the townspeople could always use assistance, he couldn't bear the thought of prolonging their plans to do something. It had already been a month and nothing monumental has happened. As second in command, Ash finally grew the courage to say something.

"Excuse me, general, but I have to object." Oak looked at Ash, surprised. "Let me rephrase that, I don't object that we should be helping the citizens more, but I do object to the fact that we are putting off the attack."

Oak crossed his arms, intrigued. "And why is that?"

Ash felt he should stand. So he stood before his fellow soldiers and addressed both them and Oak. "Because we've been lucky enough that the Hoes haven't noticed us for this long, but how much longer can we get away with it? The longer we put it off the less likely it will be a surprise attack, and the only way we're going to win this fight is with surprise on our side."

"What you're saying makes sense, Mr. Ketchum, but we can't exactly attack if we don't have an idea," stated Oak.

Ash smiled. "I've actually been brainstorming for a while now, and I think I have a plan we might be able to build on. Before we came to Cerulean there were rumors that Hoenn might try and obtain control over the lighthouse. Not to be rude, but I thought the reason we came here was to stop that from happening. Well, as we all know they got it weeks ago and we did nothing to try and stop them. And we've done nothing to get it back. General, you said yourself that the lighthouse is an extremely important monument to those who live in Cerulean. So I think if we take it back, it will inspire those in the city and those around us to band together and fight."

Oak rubbed his chin. Ash could tell he was deeply entranced in thought. Oak always had this resolute expression on his face as he weighed all the options. It was the same look he had when Ash advised they should blow up the bridge. Ash felt like this was Fuchsia City all over again. Here he was telling his boss what they should do. Perhaps he should've bit his tongue. Then again, Ash was just doing his job. Oak finally faced his men, and that's when they knew the verdict was coming. After moments of awkward silence, Ash was finally going to hear if his plan was accepted.

"Men, we attack at dawn."

Instantly an aura of uneasiness could be felt throughout the room. Quiet apprehension and panic came across every man's face. After all these weeks of doing close to nothing, these men were suddenly going to be sent into battle. Some of the rebels hadn't physically fought in the war yet, so the worry could be easily seen on their faces especially. However, even with all of the silent anxiety in the room, no one argued against the idea. To Ash's surprise, even Gary stayed quiet. With a closer look at his determined scowl, it seemed Gary was as ready to go out and fight as Ash. He was probably getting sick of doing nothing as well.

"I'll call in some back up later tonight. They'll meet us here tomorrow morning to discuss our plans of attack. I want all of you here at four o'clock and ready to go at moment's notice." He turned to Ash and gave him a strong salute. "Thank you, Mr. Ketchum."

Ash saluted back. "It's my duty, sir."

* * *

"Coming!" Misty called after hearing a knock at the door.

She immediately regretted answering it. As soon as she saw who it was she attempted to slam the door in his face, but he stopped it from closing with his forearm.

"Please," Ash said desperately.

Misty removed the spoon she had been using to shovel peanut butter into her mouth from between her lips. "Go."

"I just want to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you."

"I love you."

Misty sighed and leaned her head against the frame of the door. Ash waited for her to say it back, but judging by her position and posture it didn't seem like she was going to.

She glanced back at him, her eyes glazed over with sadness. "Is that all?"

"No."

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a gentle kiss. It tasted like peanut butter and cherry chapstick, not the best mixture, but he didn't care. Misty didn't fight it nor did she give anything back. She just held her jar of peanut butter at her side, waiting for it to be over. When they parted Ash stared deeply into her eyes. He stared so intensely he could describe to you every speckle and strand of color. But it was more as if he was staring into her core, her soul, and taking any bit he could. As he backed away quietly, he took one last look at her. He could describe every ounce of detail about what she was wearing, what her hair looked like, the softness of her skin, or the way she smelled, but all of that wasn't important. It wasn't going to change the fact that she still didn't want to be with him. He honestly could not understand why. He turned to walk away, feeling defeated. Just as he was about to leave, Ash realized this was not like him. It wasn't like him to leave without a fight.

"Why won't you say it?" he asked his voice low and gravelly.

Misty rolled her eyes and finally slammed the door.

Ash stood there for a moment, hoping she would open the door back up and jump into his arms, kissing him and saying "I love you" over and over. Sadly, she did not. He touched the wooden door with his fingertips. He waited. Suddenly, he heard a slight thud on the other side of the door. It was Misty. She had just fallen back against the door and started to cry. Ash wanted nothing more than to hold her, and to comfort her at that moment. Of course, he could not. As long as she kept this door closed between them she was alone and he was alone. A few minutes later the crying stopped and the gentle sound of footsteps carried her away.

* * *

Ash's eyes fluttered open, making light flicker in between the increasing cracks of his eyelids. The sting from the blinding light was nothing compared to the sharp pain in his chest. His breaths were shallow and empty, which is exactly how his chest felt. Ash's eyes crashed closed when suddenly his ribs felt as if they were caving in on his heart. He gripped the ground as pain swelled his heart, causing dirt to cram under his fingernails. Loud thumping boomed in his ear drums. It took him a few seconds to realize it was his pulse. He could feel his heart overworking. Ash didn't have to see the immense amount of blood seeping through his uniform to know this is what dying felt like.

With his eyes still closed, he wondered how he got to where he was at that exact moment. He honestly couldn't remember. For some reason, one of the first thoughts to come to his head was "this is for you, mom". Truly, that's what got him there. He joined the army to defend his country for his mother. He never expected everything that has happened since to happen.

Ash felt a soft lick on his right forearm. He summoned the strength to open his eyes and see Pikachu cleaning blood off his skin. The pain in his chest was so fierce he hadn't even detected the deep cut wound on his arm. Ash was able to zone out the banging of his own pulse to slightly focus on the chaotic uproar surrounding him. There was screaming, gun shots, and what sounded like vicious winds whipping the air, but the sound of cracking wood signaled it was actually the roar of relentless and unforgiving flames. Houses were probably being burned to the ground. Ash sensed he was in the center of it all, with only Pikachu by his side to protect him.

"Ash! Ash!"

Scratch that.

It was Brock's voice. He slid to Ash's side and immediately picked up Ash's nearly lifeless hand. Brock squeezed it tightly.

"You're a fucking rock star, you know that?" Brock told him.

Ash instinctively tried to make a confused expression, but stopped because even the simple muscle contractions to do so hurt him.

"What?" was all Ash had the strength to grumble.

Tears collected in Brock's eyes when he noticed the giant blood spot sprawling over Ash's chest.

"Man, you're hurt bad," Brock inhaled.

"I can feel it," Ash groaned.

"We have to get you help."

Brock buried his hands under Ash's shoulders and knees, ready to scoop him off the ground. Ash yelped out in pain due to the sudden movement. Brock withdrew his hands and looked around in a panic. Men were dying all over. No one had the time to help Ash specifically.

"What happened?" Ash finally asked.

Brock couldn't help but laugh. "You don't remember?"

Ash didn't answer.

Tears of pride and sadness rolled down Brock's cheeks. "You fucking did it, man. You saved this town. Shit, maybe even the whole country."

"How?"

"Man, you seriously don't remember what you did?" Brock laughed again.

Ash took a deep breath. "Well it's a good thing you're here to tell me, so I'll at least hear it once before I die."

Brock shook his head. "Don't say that, man. You're going to be fine."

* * *

Where was he now? Suddenly, Ash wasn't lying stained with blood in the middle of the street anymore. He was standing next to Gary outside the troops' secret base. The sun's rays were starting to stretch over the horizon and grace the town with their gentle morning illumination. Ash could see the lighthouse pierce the horizon in the distance, and he felt a strange sense of confidence that by the end of the day the lighthouse would be theirs. He looked down to see Pikachu sitting at his feet and Gary's Squirtle was spinning on its shell close by.

"Sun's coming up," Gary stated. "Pretty soon we'll be out there showing those Hoes what's what."

Ash remained quiet. He was still confused as to how he got there.

Gary gave a nod of his chin toward Ash. "Thank God you talked some sense into old gramps. It was getting unbearable watching the Hoes run everything around here."

Ash sighed. "Well, if everything goes as planned it won't be like that much longer."

"What's your plan anyway, Ashy boy? You really just expect us to capture the lighthouse with a surprise attack?"

Ash turned his head toward Gary. "You think that won't be enough?"

Gary spat in laughter, "I _know_ that won't be enough."

Ash's eyes diverted to the ground as a growing concern that Gary was right churned in his stomach. He watched Pikachu scratch his ear with his hind leg, and that's when the idea hit him. He didn't tell Gary about it at the time. In fact, he didn't tell anyone about it. While he stood with his fellow soldier, waiting for the sun to make its full appearance on the skyline, he hoped that he wouldn't have to put this idea into effect. It would only be a last resort if capturing the lighthouse with simple combat proved to be unsuccessful. But when has combat ever been simple?

* * *

Now where was he? With quick glances at his immediate surroundings, he knew he was in the center of Cerulean. A few Kanto soldiers and those from the Cerulean rebel movement were helping women and children evacuate the city, while they tried to recruit the men and the tougher women to join the fight. There was a lot of commotion in the streets but none of it was hostile yet. Every once in a while there would be explosions or a flurry of gun shots that would echo in the town, but Ash eventually realized it was all coming from the lighthouse. The battle was in full swing at the monument and the Kanto soldiers knew it would eventually swallow the city as well. Ash boiled with slight anger when he wondered why he wasn't up at the lighthouse with his fellow soldiers fighting in the real battle.

"Pikachu!" he called.

The yellow rodent leapt off a nearby rooftop and landed on the ground before hopping up on Ash's shoulders. Now that he had Pikachu he was ready to race up to the lighthouse and make himself useful in battle. He turned to start running but skidded to a stop at the sound of his name.

"Ash! Ash!"

Before he spotted whoever was yelling for him two hands spun him around. He had never been so shocked to see someone in his life. Her soft skin brushed against the stubble on his cheek as she went to embrace him tightly. He held her close, knowing just from the touch of her delicate skin and the feel of her warm body that it was Misty.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, barely breathing because his nerves started setting in. He didn't want to mess this up after what happened yesterday. He really thought he'd never see her again after that.

She was having trouble breathing too, but more so because she was scared. "I heard what was happening and I—and I just had to come find you."

He held her close again and stroked her hair to calm her down. "Well, it's okay now. You found me." Ash felt a smile of relief creep onto his face when he said that.

Misty started getting choked up. "Do I even have to apologize? You know I'm an idiot, right?"

Ash looked at her with a grin from ear to ear. "The biggest idiot I know."

"I love you, Ash," she finally admitted.

"I love you, Misty."

The two kissed, and it was perfect. They consumed each other with absolute passion. They kissed long and hard, as if they knew it might be their last.

When they finally parted, Misty gave Ash an almost nauseated look.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I have to tell you something. Something important."

"Uh, it might have to wait."

Misty looked at Ash, puzzled. "Why?"

Suddenly, Ash pushed Misty away from him on the shoulders. Misty was about to erupt in rage at this abusive gesture, but seconds later she saw the reason behind his shove. Multiple high-pitched screams rang in the air as an orange, winged beast swooped down and attacked Ash with its large talons. It barged into the young man with such force that it sent him flying into a pile of wooden boxes stacked on the side of the street. Ash disappeared in the debris and Misty shrieked his name, fearing he had been gravely injured. The Charizard continued to fly around and set fire to the already shabby houses of Cerulean.

The once organized routes of evacuation out of the city transformed into complete disarray. More Charizards swarmed the sky and intimidated townsfolk with their fiery breath. Everyone ran screaming from the sight. Ash emerged from the pile of now broken boxes and Misty jumped to go check on him. She couldn't easily make her way too him though. There were too many people running between them and everything around them was starting to crumble. Ash cringed as a piercing tingle ran through his right arm. He glanced down to see a deep cut in his right forearm from the Charizard's talons. He began to feel light headed, so he clutched the wound tightly to stop the bleeding.

"Ash!" Misty called again.

"Go!" Ash demanded as a Charizard flew closely overhead. It sent a stream of flames from its mouth toward Ash, but he was able to dodge it. Ash looked back at Misty, who standing there, frightened. "Get out of here! Go! I'll be okay!"

Ash could see tears swimming in Misty's eyes. But she nodded, knowing her staying there with him would be no use. Ash watched her run away with a crowd of evacuating citizens, and even he had to keep himself from tearing up. After watching Misty run until she was no longer in his sights, Ash turned toward the lighthouse in the distance. He assumed the battle must not be going in Kanto's favor if the Hoes have already sent their Charizards to attack the town. He had to get there quick, before it was too late. Pikachu took down two of the Charizards with its ruthless electric shock before he followed Ash to the lighthouse.

* * *

Ash opened his eyes. He was back on the ground, wounded. Brock was still hovering above him. He squeezed his eyes closed. His brain ached from the flashbacks he had just experienced. He remembered it all now. He remembered how he saved the city. It was just too bad he couldn't have saved himself.

"You hear me? You're going to be fine," Brock assured.

Brock was so confident in the fact that his best friend was going to live, that he didn't even notice right away when Ash's breathing stopped. His hand fell dead in his. Brock shook it, hoping Ash had just slipped into unconsciousness and would wake up with enough force. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders and gave him another light shake. Brock repeated Ash's name over and over for the slight chance that he'd respond. He put his ear to his friend's blood stained chest. Nothing.

"C'mon, don't do this to me, man," Brock plead, tears conjuring in the corners of his eyes. He looked all around for someone nearby. "I need some help over here! Man down! Man down!"

Gary and his Squirtle came running and Brock began to perform CPR on Ash.

"What happened?" Gary asked.

"He got shot." Brock pushed on his chest three times before listening for a heartbeat again. Still nothing.

After a minute or two more of unsuccessful CPR, Brock fell back on his rear end. His lip trembled as tears blurred the sight of his dead best friend lying in front of him.

"No, no, no, no, no," he said over and over, unable to process the fact that Ash was really dead.

Gary stood by with a somber expression. He'd never be willing to admit it to anyone, but at that moment Gary Oak had to keep himself from crying. Brock and everyone else in history may credit Ash for his brilliant idea, but if Ash had never had that critical conversation with Gary before the big battle, he would have never thought of it. Soon other members of Ash's troop ran over, thinking a fellow soldier was in need of help. But when they got there it was too late. The only thing left to watch was Brock sob into his blood covered hands.

* * *

There was a great deal of people at the funeral, primarily soldiers. Ash was buried in his uniform and with a Kanto flag draped over his casket. The sun shined with a subtle brightness and barely any heat radiated from the oversized star. The temperature seemed perfect. Everything about the day seemed peaceful. But no one's mind was at peace knowing that Ash Ketchum was forever gone.

Brock stepped forward with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He cleared his throat as he fished for his speech in his coat pocket. He pulled out a small sheet of white paper. Delia watched the paper shake as Brock tried not to start crying before he began his speech.

"There's no doubt that Ash Ketchum was a brave man, but what everyone might not know is how great of a friend he was. He would do anything he could to protect the people he loved." Brock's head fell to his chest to conceal the few tears that trickled down his cheeks. Many other people started to cry as well. "It's just a shame he couldn't protect himself. It's a dangerous world out there. But hopefully now it's a little better for us all after knowing Ash. Just as his gravestone says, I think the three best words to remember him by are fun, loyal, and brave." Brock looked at the slab of stone sticking out the ground. He said to it as if no one else were there, "You were my best friend and I'll never forget you."

As Delia listened to Brock speak, she spotted an unfamiliar face amongst the crowd. This was the only unfamiliar face not in uniform. It was a petite, redheaded woman. Delia spent a few moments analyzing her face, trying to think if she knew her from somewhere and had simply forgotten. Nothing came to mind. She wondered what effect Ash had on this woman's life.

General Oak stepped forward next to speak. "Mr. Ketchum was my second in command, which is probably the smartest move I ever made in my career as a military officer. Ash had the brightest ideas I had ever heard, and from a man of his age, it was quite impressive." Delia started crying, and she noticed the redhead was quietly bawling as well. "One could even argue that Ash was the turning point of the war. Because of his work in Fuchsia and Cerulean, Kanto may actually have a chance at turning this war around. For those of you who don't know the story, in Ash's final hours, he sacrificed himself to lure all of the Hoenn soldiers out of the Cerulean lighthouse and into the nearby river, and with the help of his Pikachu, defeated all of the soldiers with a single electric shock. Unfortunately, he was shot by one of the few Hoenn soldiers that was still alive. It was a major victory for Kanto that day, but there's no denying that there was a major loss as well. Ash Ketchum will forever be remembered as a war hero, and that is why it is my distinct pleasure to award him with a medal of honor."

Oak went to place the medal on top of Ash's casket, but Delia couldn't help but reach for it. He stopped and looked at her expectantly.

"Actually, would it be alright if I kept that?" she asked quietly.

Oak flashed a small smile. "Of course, Ms. Ketchum."

He walked over and handed her the medal. She watched the gold glisten in the sunlight and imagined it as Ash's smile beaming up at her.

Brock put his arm around Delia as "Taps" filled the breezy, autumn air with its melodies. The dirt had settled in around the sunken casket. Those who didn't know Ash well dispersed from the area. A few stayed for a while, some just stared at his headstone and others approached Delia with their condolences. As more and more people began to leave, Delia noticed the redheaded woman was still there. When there were only about six people still around, the redheaded woman slowly strode over to her.

"Are you Ash's mother?" she asked.

Delia nodded. "Yes."

Her lip began to tremble. "I am so sorry for your loss."

Delia sniffed, trying not to start crying in front of this stranger. "So did you know him well?"

She turned and looked at the gravestone, as if he was standing there. "I would like to think so."

"I don't believe we've ever met," Delia pointed out. "I'm Delia."

The redhead smiled tiredly. "I'm Misty."

"How'd you two know each other?" Delia asked.

"We met in Cerulean City right before he joined the military," Misty explained. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Your son was very special."

Watching Misty cry made Delia grow teary eyed. "Thank you. I'm very proud of him."

"You should be. He saved my life," Misty looked down and mumbled, "in more ways than one."

Delia smiled faintly. "I'd love to hear about it some time."

"Great." Misty smiled back, but it quickly turned into a nervous frown when she remembered what she came to tell Delia. "But first, I have something important to tell you." Delia didn't know how to react. She had just met this girl, what important information could she possibly have to tell her? "Please know that I love your son with all my heart… and he loved me too… but unfortunately," Misty began to weep, "I was never able to tell Ash this before he passed away. I'm… I'm pregnant."

"And Ash is the father?" Delia asked.

Misty nodded. "Yes."

For a couple seconds Delia's face seemed frozen. No sign of recognition came across. Then suddenly, she burst into tears. At first Misty felt humiliated. This woman probably thought she was a whore. However, unexpectedly, Delia wrapped her arms around Misty and gave her a squeeze. Misty sunk into the woman's warm embrace after understanding they were tears of joy. Misty was relieved. She knew since the day Ash died that she had to tell Delia. If this baby's father couldn't be in its life, then it at least deserves to have an involved grandmother.

Delia finally released Misty from her arms, smiled at her, tears still strolling down her cheeks, and said, "Welcome to the family."

* * *

A/N: So I just realized this is the first time I've updated this story in almost two years. The reason I decided to come back to it is because I am incredibly proud of how this story turned out. I always knew that this was going to be the last chapter. It just took me forever to write it because I wanted it to be perfect. I held it off for a really long time and I didn't like the first few drafts I whipped up. But I am satisfied with this ending and I hope you all are too. I know a few of you asked me if I was ever going to finish this story and that was a big source of inspiration for me to finally write the last chapter. I really hope those of you who have stuck with this story since the beginning thought the ending was worth the wait.

Let me just say that I had so much fun writing this story. I feel like I really challenged myself when it came to language, relationships, and plot. I typically write more light-hearted stuff so writing about such a serious topic like war was quite refreshing actually. I'm really proud of this story despite the lack of popularity I expected it to receive. I thought this story would be a big hit because it's so different and mature compared to every other Pokemon story out there, but I hope those few of you who kept up with it enjoyed it anyway.

Also, in case you're wondering, no, I did not just pull that ending out of my butt last second. I've known from the very beginning that Ash was going to die, and I'd be interested to hear if anyone knew that I was going to kill him off or if it came to them as a total surprise. Not going to lie, my goal was to make at least one person cry or get teary eyed. So be honest, did any of you cry? Did I make it sad enough?

Also, if you didn't go "awwww" after Ash gave Misty a new bike you have no soul.

Thanks so much to all of you who have read, favorited, and alerted this story over the years! I truly appreciate all the support! I hope if you like this story you'll check out my other ones or you'll keep your eye out for my future stuff. Now that I have this completed I can concentrate on my other Pokemon fanfic called "Bianca's Tale" which I would love if I got some extra feedback on. Thank you all again for reading!

Keep reading! Keep writing! Keep reviewing!


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